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The Prime Minister Exchanges Opinions on TICAD IV with Ms. Sadako Ogata and Ms. Mayu Tsuruta Tuesday, May 20, 2008 JAPANESE

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda invited Ms. Sadako Ogata, President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Ms. Mayu Tsuruta, an actress who is playing an active role as the TICAD IV Goodwill Ambassador, to the Prime Minister's Office and exchanged opinions with them on Africa, among other subjects. Under the banner of "Towards a Vibrant Africa," the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV), to be held at the end of this month in Yokohama, will aim to further strengthen Japan's cooperative relations with African nations, through which Japan will support the bright prospects that have arisen in Africa in recent years, such as economic growth and advancement of democratization. Following TICAD IV, Japan will host the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit this July. As the Chair country of the G8 Summit, Japan will lead the efforts to assist Africa by ensuring that the results of TICAD IV are reflected in discussions at the Summit. It is Japan's hope that recognition of the importance of African development is shared globally, contributing to the improvement of African livelihoods. Related link: TICAD IV (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)