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Japan, Africa pledge urgent action on food crisis
Yokohama— Africa’s leaders and Japan pledged Friday
to ramp up the continent’s food production, seeking to put the
crisis of spiralling prices firmly on the agenda of the Group of
Eight rich nations.Wrapping up a three-day summit in Yokohama, near
Tokyo, Japan also won renewed support for its top foreign policy
goal—securing a permanent seat at the UN Security Council—which has
been blocked under pressure from China.
Japan held talks with 51 African nations, including 40 heads of
state, at a time of growing alarm in Tokyo as emerging economies
seal business deals and political alliances on the African
continent.
The summit, which also involved the United Nations, comes amid
soaring food prices that have triggered riots in some countries and
prompted the World Bank on Thursday to announce a 1.2 billion dollar
programme to fight the crisis. “There is an urgent need for the
international community to address this issue in the near, medium
and long term,” Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda told a joint
news conference.
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, head of the African Union, hoped
that Africa’s concerns, including on the food crisis, would rise to
the forefront of the July 7-9 summit of the Group of Eight top
industrial powers, also to be held in Japan.
“Africa made its case during this meeting, and in Japan we found
partners who are ready to listen and to work with us,” Kikwete said.
“Suggestions that came out of this meeting will also find their way
to the G8 meeting.”
A joint declaration spelt out Fukuda’s pledge to help the continent
double rice production within 10 years. It called for microfinancing
of farmers and development work to increase the amount of irrigated
area in Africa by 20 percent in five years.
Japan has also pledged to double aid and private-sector investment
to Africa within five years.
Japan invested 1.1 billion dollars in Africa last year, a paltry sum
for the world’s second largest economy, while Chinese state-run
firms have been securing more of the continent’s mineral and energy
resources.—AFP
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