JICA President Akihiko Tanaka visited the Federal Republic of Brazil and the Republic of Paraguay from June 10 to 22. In Brazil, he participated in Nikkei related events celebrating the 115th anniversary of Japanese immigration, exchanged opinions with Nikkei organizations, met with Vice President Alckmin and other government officials, participated in a seminar on overseas investment and financing, gave lectures at the JICA Chair (University of São Paulo) and the Brazilian Foreign Service Training School, and inspected agroforestry projects. The tour also included a visit to an agroforestry project. In Paraguay, they met with the current and incoming presidents and other government officials, exchanged views with Japanese American organizations, and witnessed the signing ceremony of the minutes of the discussion on the space development project. They also observed JICA projects in each country.
- Federative Republic of Brazil
In Brasilia, Brazil’s capital city, President Tanaka participated in a special session of the Brazilian Congress on Japanese Immigration to Brazil and in the 115th Anniversary of Japanese Immigration Ceremony hosted by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In both speeches, he spoke highly of the activities of the Nikkei community in Brazil and expressed his desire to continue to contribute to further strengthening Japan-Brazil relations through human resource development through volunteer and training programs, academic exchange such as the Fujita Ninomiya Chair, and cooperation on development issues such as climate change, food security, and disaster prevention. He also exchanged views with local Nikkei organizations in Sao Paulo, Belém, and Tomeas. In Tomeas, they visited a sustainable agroforestry farm successfully established by Nikkei and a juice factory for processing fruits, which was constructed and expanded with a JICA grant.
In the meeting with Vice President Alckmin, President Tanaka then mutually affirmed that the two countries are important partners in addressing global issues such as climate change countermeasures, environmental conservation, and food security. He exchanged views with Agriculture Minister Favaro on sustainable agriculture without deforestation, and in Belém, Pará, where the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is scheduled to be held in 2025, he exchanged views with the governor on promoting sustainable agroforestry for the COP30.
In addition, under the theme of “International Relations under Complex Crises: Japan’s Perspective,” a special JICA Chair lecture was given at the University of Sao Paulo and a lecture at a Brazilian diplomat training school (Instituto Branco do Rio), each attended by about 60 people.
At the “Brazilian Overseas Investment and Loan Seminar,” Mr. Kato gave a speech on JICA’s continued support for projects that contribute to solving social issues, including two new investment projects in Brazil, where JICA has the largest track record among its overseas investment and loan programs worldwide, which was covered by numerous media. He also planted a tree to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Brazilian Agricultural and Pastoral Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), with which JICA has long provided technical cooperation in the agricultural sector, including the development of the Cerrado, and to celebrate the partnership between JICA and EMBRAPA.
- Republic of Paraguay
Following his visit to Paraguay, President Tanaka met with current President Abdo Benitez and President-elect Peña, who is scheduled to assume office in August, in the Paraguayan capital of Asunción. They reviewed past cooperation such as agricultural promotion, infrastructure development, and human resource development, and discussed space development projects, expansion of Japanese startup companies into the Latin American region, cooperation in the field of hydrogen energy derived from hydroelectric power generation utilizing the abundant water resources, and strengthening relations with the Japanese community. In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented JICA with the National Merit Medal (Grand Cross of the Order of Merit) in recognition of JICA’s past achievements in Paraguay.
In the field of space development, the participants witnessed the signing of the discussion minutes for the newly launched technical cooperation “Space Program Management Project for Socio-Economic Development” and exchanged opinions with the President of the Paraguayan Space Agency and young staff members. Many expressed their expectations for Japan’s advanced technological capabilities in areas such as satellite development and satellite image processing.
In Ciudad del Este City, Iguazu City, and Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, the participants exchanged opinions with Japanese American organizations. In Ciudad del Este, the group visited Hagiwara Kogyo Corporation, which has expanded from Japan to Paraguay. The company is establishing a manufacturing base for South America in Paraguay in 2022 as a result of its participation in a private-sector partnership study mission dispatched by JICA to Latin American countries in 2018, and they exchanged views on the company’s strategy to enter the South American market with Paraguay as its base. In Iguazu City, the participants also inspected a candidate site for a “roadside station” that is being considered for establishment mainly by trainees who participated in JICA’s training program for Japanese communities.
Finally, the participants visited the sites where experts and overseas cooperation teams are working on JICA’s ongoing cooperation in the field of promoting social participation of persons with disabilities.
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