JICA President Akihiko Tanaka visited the Republic of Zambia for the first time from June 1 to June 6. He met with President Hakainde Hichilema, Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane, and other government officials, gave a special lecture at the University of Zambia on the JICA Chair in Japanese Studies, which was established to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Zambia, and observed JICA’s cooperation He also made an inspection tour of JICA’s cooperation projects.
In his meeting with President Hichilema, President Tanaka expressed his pleasure at the steady strengthening of bilateral relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1964, and his desire for further cooperation, especially in the areas of agriculture, infrastructure, health, and education. He also expressed his condolences to Zambia for the drought damage, which is now a serious problem in the country, and mentioned that the “Community Based Small Scale Irrigation (COBSI)” [Note 1], with which JICA has been cooperating in Zambia, is an effective measure to address food crises under drought conditions.
President Hichilema expressed his gratitude for JICA’s longstanding cooperation, including an episode in which he lived along the “Tokyo Way” [Note 2], which was developed with Japan’s cooperation, and expressed his expectations for further cooperation in various fields, including cooperation in drought countermeasures and support for infrastructure development.
Minister of Health Masebo, Minister of Agriculture Pili, and Minister of Information and Media Mitwa were also present at the meeting and expressed their appreciation for JICA’s cooperation in their respective fields and their expectations for the future. Among them, Agriculture Minister Piri expressed his desire to strongly promote the aforementioned COBSI as the Ministry of Agriculture.
The meeting was broadcast live on the President’s official Facebook page and viewed by many Zambians (approximately 27,000 views).
Note 1] COBSI (Community-based Smallholder Irrigation): A community-based smallholder irrigation (COBSI) approach that starts by building a simple weir using locally available natural materials (wood, soil, stones, etc.) to draw water from the river so that small farmers who rely on rainwater can cultivate even during the dry season. The approach aims to strengthen the organization of farmer groups and further incorporate market-oriented agriculture (SHEP) and nutrition improvement activities to strengthen the comprehensive resilience of small-scale farmers.
The project was funded by a grant aid (2011-2014) to rehabilitate a 15-kilometer stretch of road in the southern part of Lusaka City.
Meeting with President Hichilema
President Tanaka also met with Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane.
Minister Musokotwane expressed his sincere appreciation for Japan’s tremendous cooperation in the areas of science and technology, health, and agriculture (especially irrigation), and noted that the restructuring of the Zambian government’s debt is progressing well, and expressed hope for further investment by the Japanese public and private sectors.
President Tanaka expressed his respect for the Zambian government’s efforts to restructure its debt, and said that JICA would continue to work vigorously to support infrastructure cooperation to improve the investment environment, as well as agriculture and small and medium-sized enterprises to create employment opportunities.
Meeting with Mr. Musokotwane, Minister of Finance and National Planning
In addition, Chancellor Tanaka gave a special lecture at the JICA Chair held at the University of Zambia (UNZA) to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Zambia. An audience of about 250 people gathered to hear the lecture.
At the beginning of the meeting, the UNZA President expressed his strong appreciation for the 40 years of cooperation with JICA since the establishment of the UNZA School of Veterinary Medicine in the 1980s, mainly through grant aid and technical cooperation, and his expectations for continued and strengthened cooperation in the future.
In the context of Zambia, which is facing a complex crisis with various issues such as infectious diseases including new coronavirus and cholera, food and electricity shortages due to drought, debt restoration from default in 2020, and job creation through industrial diversification from a single economy dependent on copper, Chancellor Tanaka gave a lecture entitled “International Relations under Complex Crisis from a Japanese Perspective. The lecture was titled “International Relations under Complex Crises from a Japanese Perspective. The audience asked a variety of questions on international relations and development, and a lively discussion ensued.
JICA Chair at UNZA to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and ZA
In addition, President Tanaka visited project sites such as Chawama Hospital, one of the Lusaka County General Hospitals, Kazungula Bridge and its One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) facility [Note 3], which connects Zambia and Botswana, and Livingstone Museum. The participants also exchanged opinions with JICA project officials and Zambian government officials on the future prospects of the project.
Based on the visit to Zambia by President Tanaka, JICA will continue to work as a link between Japan and Zambia and as a partner in Zambia’s development.
Note 3] One Stop Border Post (OSBP): An initiative or facility that enables the efficient movement of people and goods at the borders of landlocked countries by allowing customs clearance and entry/exit procedures, which used to be carried out at each country, to be carried out at a single location. (OSBP): A facility that allows for the efficient movement of people and goods.
Visit to UNZA Veterinary School
Inspection of George Compound Water Supply Facility
Inspection of Chawama Hospital
Visit to Kazungula Bridge and OSBP
© Source JICA
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