Top > What's up around the Prime Minister > May, 2005

Japan-Madagascar Summit Meeting Tuesday, May 31, 2005 JAPANESE Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi held a meeting with Mr. Marc Ravalomanana, the President of the Republic of Madagascar at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. At the meeting, President Ravalomanana expressed his appreciation on behalf of African nations for the cooperation Japan extended to Africa as well as Prime Minister Koizumi's speech at the Asian-African Summit on cooperation for Africa. In response, Prime Minister Koizumi said, "Japan intends to provide as much cooperation as possible in various areas including human resources development. As such, I would like to further continue our dialogues." With regard to the reform of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, Prime Minister Koizumi said, "As we now stand at a critical point in time to submit a UN draft resolution on expanding the framework of the Security Council, I ask for Madagascar's cooperation in this respect, including considering to cosponsor this resolution." President Ravalomanana in response said, "Japan should rest assured as I have clearly stated at last year's UN General Assembly that Madagascar fully supports Japan."