Japan-Ghana Summit Meeting (Summary)
On May 1, commencing at 6:05 p.m. local time (3:05 a.m. on May 2, JST) for approximately 70 minutes, Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio, visiting Ghana, held a Summit Meeting with H.E. Mr. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana. Prime Minister Kishida made a joint press announcement with President Akufo-Addo, and attended a dinner banquet hosted by President Akufo-Addo for approximately 100 minutes, commencing at 7:50 p.m. (4:50 a.m. on May 2, JST). The summary of the Summit Meeting is as follows.
1. Introduction
(1) President Akufo-Addo, welcoming Prime Minister Kishida's visit to Ghana, mentioned the strong bilateral relations between Japan and Ghana that have been nurtured over a long period of time since the visit of Dr. Hideyo Noguchi in 1927 to the present day, and expressed his willingness to further develop bilateral relations in various fields and to work closely together in the international community.
(2) In response, Prime Minister Kishida stated that Japan and Ghana share fundamental values and principles such as democracy and the rule of law, and that Japan is willing to cooperate closely with Ghana this year as colleagues of the UN Security Council, and will steadily implement the commitments of the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 8) held last year.
2. Bilateral relations
(1) Prime Minister Kishida stated that he attaches great importance to the promotion of business and investment in Ghana, one of the leading economic centers in West Africa, and looks forward to Ghana’s efforts to further improving the investment environment in order to encourage Japanese companies to expand into Ghana. In response, President Akufo-Addo stated that Ghana is the gateway to the entire African continent, and that he expects Japanese companies to enter and invest in the country, and attaches importance to improving the investment environment.
(2) Prime Minister Kishida welcomed the cooperation in the health sector to date represented by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, and stated that he will continue to support efforts to combat infectious diseases and to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). President Akufo-Addo expressed his gratitude for Japan's support in various fields.
(3) After the Summit Meeting, in the presence of the two leaders, the signing ceremony of the Exchange of Notes on the Grant Aid for "The Project for Improvement of Rice Seeds Production " and the Grant Aid for "Human Resources Development Scholarship" was held between Mr. MOCHIZUKI Hisanobu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ghana, and Hon. Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana.
3. Cooperation in the international arena
(1) Prime Minister Kishida asserted that no unilateral change of the status quo by force is tolerated in any region in the world, and the two leaders shared the view on the importance of free and open international order based on the rule of law. They also shared the view on the importance of not tolerating Russia’s reckless actions and firmly upholding the rule of law, in the face of negative trends, such as Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which continue to deny even the principles of the UN Charter such as sovereignty and territorial integrity. Furthermore, the two leaders discussed the importance of transparent and fair development finance.
(2) Prime Minister Kishida expressed his appreciation on Ghana's efforts to address the situation in the Sahel and other regions, and announced that Japan will provide approximately USD 500 million over the next three years to contribute to peace and stability and promote sustainable growth in the Sahel region and the neighboring coastal countries of the Gulf of Guinea. President Akufo-Addo expressed his appreciation for Japan's contributions.
(3) Furthermore, Prime Minister Kishida stated that he is seriously concerned about the situation in Sudan, and that Japan will actively contribute as the country holding the G7 Presidency and a member of the UN Security Council, including through the dispatching the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa to related countries. Also, Prime Minister Kishida stated that, in order to respond to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Sudan and its neighboring countries, Japan will urgently consider providing emergency humanitarian assistance together with the international community. The two leaders confirmed that they will cooperate closely as colleagues of the UN Security Council for the stabilization of Sudan.
(4) As non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, the two leaders confirmed that they will collaborate closely on the response to North Korea, including the nuclear and missile issues and the abduction issue, and on efforts to strengthen the functioning of the UN, including Security Council reform.
