Malawi-Japan relationship to foster development – JICA
Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Director General, Kato Ryichi, has said the continued cordial relationship between Malawi and Japan will enhance development of the two countries.
Ryichi was speaking in Lilongwe Tuesday during an interface meeting with Malawi’s National Planning Commission (NPC) and officials from the Department of Economic Planning and Development (EP&D) in the Ministry of Finance, Economic, Planning and Development.
“As JICA, we really cherish this long standing relationship and we are proud to contribute to the development of the country (Malawi),” said Ryichi.
JICA’s director is in Malawi to appreciate the contribution of JICA’s funded projects to the country’s economy through the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD).
Speaking earlier, National Planning Commission Chairperson, Richard Mkandawire lauded Japan for its technical and financial support towards the socio-economic development of Malawi.
Mkandawire said Japan’s support to Malawi is in resonance with her Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS). On this note, he said the country has just launched MGDS 111 which has been translated into local languages such as Chichewa, Chitumbuka and Chiyawo.
“We would want to ensure that people at grass root know and understand the key priority areas in development that government will focus on to alleviate poverty in the next five years,” he said.
During the meeting, participants also discussed the possibilities of moving technologies from Japan to Malawi, one of the key priority areas in the MGDS 111.
TICAD is a major global forum that aims at promoting development on the African continent under the principles of African ownership and international partnership.
Through the forum, Japan has pledged for continued support in the key sectors of agriculture, health, irrigation, education and infrastructure development among others.
Some of the objectives of TICAD are to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and their partners, and mobilize support for African-owned development initiatives.
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