Shortly after my arrival in Uganda as the Ambassador of Japan in 2016, 6th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) was convened in Nairobi, Kenya. The TICAD VI brought many Japanese business leaders to the African continent and gave them an opportunity to experience by their eyes and ears the real state of Africa, its vibrant economy and its huge potentials. Some of Japanese corporate executives visited Uganda just before or after the TICAD VI. In this way the first-ever TICAD held in Africa, I believe, has raised Japanese business interest in trade with and investment in Uganda and other African countries, whereby Japanese business presence in Africa has been expanding.
On 28 – 30th August 2019, when three years will have been passed since TICAD VI, Yokohama, Japan, is to host TICAD 7, which is expected to put much more emphasis on the trade and investment promotion in the context of African development. TICAD 7 will provide African business people with much more opportunities to interact with Japanese government senior officials as well as those of international organizations and to engage in business to business dialogue. I am convinced that, in order to support such business relations, the Government of Japan is ready to further support human resource development through vocational training as well as connectivity of intra-African continent to be enhanced by quality infrastructure and other means. From this perspective, I sincerely hope that as many Ugandan business leaders as possible will participate in TICAD 7 in Yokohama to find business partners for joint ventures beneficial to both partners.
TICAD is not just a forum exclusively to deal with business. Promotion of sustainable society for the “Human Security” is another important Pillar of TICAD. In mid-June, Exile Usa, Japan’s famous dancer and a WFP’s celebrity supporter, visited Karamoja and West Nile sub-regions in Uganda. His visit to Uganda, which has been well filmed, will most probably disseminate in Japan Uganda’s exemplary open-door policy to refugees, and will also raise the interest in TICAD 7 among Japanese citizens.
The Embassy of Japan is determined to extend any possible support for every activity contributing to the aforementioned hope to come true, and leading to extensive exchanges between Japan and Uganda after TICAD 7 in Yokohama.
July 2019
Kazuaki Kameda
Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Uganda