Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Doudou KA, Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation of the Republic of Senegal, who was visiting Japan. The overview of the meeting is as follows. Prior to the meeting, the two ministers held a signing ceremony for the exchange of notes regarding the “the Project for the Improvement of Advanced Fish Landing Facilities for Valorisation of Fishery Products in Joal-Fadiouth”, a grant assistance to the Republic of Senegal.
At the outset, Minister Kamikawa conveyed her appreciation to Minister Ka for his visit to Japan with Senegalese business representatives at the critical time before the presidential election. She also expressed her gratitude for President Sall’s letter of condolences to Prime Minister Kishida for the damage caused by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. Minister Kamikawa stated that the two countries are strategically important partners sharing fundamental values such as democracy and the rule of law. She expressed her desire to further strengthen cooperation with Senegal, not only bilaterally but also in the African region and in the international arena. In response, Minister Ka extended his appreciation for the invitation and again expressed his condolences for the damage caused by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. He conveyed his appreciation for Japan’s support through JICA and Japanese investment in various fields such as agriculture, health, sanitation, and transportation, including the signed project for fish landing facilities. He also explained The Plan for an Emerging Senegal (PES) of Senegal and expressed his desire to strengthen business relations between Japan and Senegal.
Minister Kamikawa stated that food security is an issue for Africa as a whole and for the world, influenced by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and welcomed the signature of the new grant assistance in the field of fisheries. Minister Kamikawa also referred to the regional cooperations with neighboring countries in West Africa that is being promoted with Senegal as a regional hub, and expressed her expectations for Senegal’s role as a regional gateway. The two ministers shared the principles such as importance of the rule of law, and they agreed on the importance of peace and security not only of the West African region but also of the whole world.
Noting that several Japanese companies have started their business in oil and gas production sector of Senegal, Minister Kamikawa expressed her expectations on further improvement of Senegal’s business environment in order to encourage more Japanese companies to expand trade and investment in the country. In response, Minister Ka expressed his commitment to Senegal's energy transition and his desire to work with the Japanese government and Japanese companies, including in oil and gas development.
Minister Kamikawa expressed her respect for Senegal which takes a leading role on regional initiatives to contribute to peace and stability in the West African region, and expressed her support for the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) in this field. Minister Kamikawa also expressed her desire to further develop cooperation, with a view to this year’s TICAD Ministerial Meeting which Minister Kamikawa will chair, and TICAD 9 in 2025. The two ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation in various fields, including the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.