Prime Minister Meets with the President of Mali Monday, December 3, 2001 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met with President Alpha Oumar Konare of the Republic of Mali at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. President Konare is visiting Japan to give a keynote address to the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) Ministerial-Level Meeting, currently being held. Prime Minister Koizumi stated that interest in Africa is rising in Japan and that without a resolution to the problems in Africa there would be no peace and prosperity in the 21st century, stressing the importance of approaches toward the problems in Africa. President Konare expressed his deep appreciation for Japan's cooperation in respect to Mali. The President also stated that Japan sent a strong message on the problems in Africa, and that the countries of Africa were grateful for the fact that Japan had convened this meeting as well as Japan's leadership on the issue of African development despite the severe global situation and domestic state of affairs. In addition, President Konare stressed the need for the promotion of education and democracy and the introduction of new technology, such as the Internet, in achieving development. Both leaders agreed on the importance of taking steps in these areas, with Prime Minister Koizumi pointing out that education had played a large role in the development of Japan.