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| Top What's up around the Prime Minister September, 2003 |
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Third Tokyo International Conference on African Development
The Third Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD III) which discusses many issues facing the countries of Africa opened with the participation of about ninety countries, about fifty international organizations and other group pf people at a hotel in Tokyo. Following the inaugural address at the opening ceremony in the morning from former Prime Minister and chair of the conference Yoshiro Mori, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi gave the keynote speech in which he announced Japan's intention to extend grant aid assistance totaling about US$1 billion to the countries of Africa for measures to fight infectious diseases such as AIDS, education, water and food assistance. Prime Minister Koizumi also announced new investment loans worth approximately US$300 million through the Japan Bank for International Development and the cancellation of yen-loan debt totaling US$3 billion to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs). Prior to the opening of the conference, on September 28, Prime Minister Koizumi held individual summit meetings with eighteen African heads of state in Japan to attend TICAD III. At each meeting he expressed his intention to step up Japan's assistance in the area of education.
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| Link: | Keynote Speech by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the Third Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD III) |