Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has arrived in Japan to participate in the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-V) to be held in Yokohama, the Presidency said on Friday.
This will be followed by a working visit on 4 June.
The TICAD is a strategic partnership between Africa and Japan that was launched in 1993, with a view to serve as a consultative forum for development assistance to Africa. This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the TICAD Process and this coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (which is now the AU).
The Presidency said the TICAD-V Summit will be held under the theme, ‘Hand in Hand with a Dynamic Africa’, a theme that symbolises the growing economic stature of Africa in the global economy.
About 40 African Heads of State are said to have confirmed their participation at this TICAD Summit, which takes place every five years.
“South Africa's participation in the upcoming TICAD meetings is premised on the AU’s strategic objective of ensuring that all global partnerships with Africa should support the African development priorities, while also strengthening Africa's participation in global affairs as an equal partner.
“At this summit, the African Heads of State and Government, Japan and the TICAD partners will adopt the TICAD-V Declaration, as well as its five-year action plan that will guide the strategic cooperation between Africa and Japan between 2013 and 2017,” said the Presidency.
On 4 June, the visit will turn into an official one focusing on relations between South Africa and Japan. – SAnews.gov.za
