Japan doubles aid to Africa
2005-06-28 14:41
Tokyo - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi re-affirmed on Tuesday that Japan would double its aid to Africa, largely in grants, by the end of 2007, a foreign ministry official said.
His comments were made during a meeting with the ambassadors to Japan of 33 African countries.
"There is no peace or prosperity in the 21st century without solving the African problems," Koizumi was quoted as saying.
"Although Japan is willing to assist your countries, it is important for each African nation to make its own effort," Koizumi added, reminding the ambassadors how Japan rebuilt with foreign financial help after World War II.
On Monday Ichiro Aizawa, Japan's vice foreign minister, pledged at a UN conference that Japan would double the amount of its official development assistance to Africa to $1bn.
To help boost the private sector in Africa, including small firms, Japan will initiate a soft-loan facility totalling $1.2bn over the next five years in partnership with the African Development Bank, Aizawa said.
Koizumi first unveiled the plan at the Asia-Africa summit held in Indonesia in April.
As host of the G8 meeting in Scotland from July 6-8, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has put fighting African poverty at the top of his agenda.
Last week UN secretary-general Kofi Annan urged leaders of the world's richest countries to use the summit to address the world poverty by increasing development aid and forgiving debt.
The Group of Eight comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.