President edga lungu leaves for state visit in Japan

President Edgar Lungu has today left for Japan to attend the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7) scheduled for 28th to 30th August, 2019.

The President was seen off by Vice President, Inonge Wina, Lusaka Province Minister, Bowman Lusambo, Minister of Agriculture, Michael Katambo, Minister of Justice, Given Lubinda, among other cabinet ministers.

Others were Service Chiefs and other senior government and party officials.

The Tokyo International Conference on African Development was launched in 1993 by Japan, to create a forum for high-level policy dialogue, between African leaders and development partners.

The forum, TICAD, was thus created to further empower the continent and its people by promoting African ownership and partnerships between the international community and African countries.

The presence of the Zambian Head of State at the 7th TICAD will be cardinal as there will be a variety of events for leaders from regions and partner countries.

The TICAD 7 is the first that President Lungu will attend since he assumed office of the Presidency.

Meanwhile, Japanese Ambassador to Zambia Hidenobu Sobashima has observed that Zambia’s presence at the three day Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) 7 summit will attract more Japanese investors to Zambia.

Ambassador Sobashima says Japanese investment in Zambia has continued to increase, adding that with the TICAD summit more investors will be interested to further explore other areas of investment for enhanced cooperation.

Speaking at a media briefing held in Lusaka today, Ambassador Sobashima noted that the forthcoming, TICAD summit slated for August 28th-30th, had already started showing positive outcomes, following the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Japan and Zambia, for support to the country’s health sector.

Ambassador Sobashima explained that the MoUs signed this morning by the Japanese Ambassador and the Ministry of Health will also enhance the support towards attaining universal health coverage.

He also added that all the 54 African Heads of State have been invited to attend the summit that is expected to lead international discussions on African development with the aim of materializing the outcomes of the major international conferences such as the G20 and the G7 among others.

He said the summit which is being co organized by Japan, United Nations, World Bank and the African Union Commission has also attracted participation from the private sector, international partners and civil society organizations.

The Japanese Envoy further disclosed that the summit will focus on business and investment as a center of TICAD, and is expected to push forward African development through quality infrastructure and human resource development.