Participation in Public-Private Business Dialogue and Policy Announcement
On August 21, 2025, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Muto attended the public-private business dialogue of the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), engaging in discussions with Prime Minister Ishiba, President João Lourenço of the Republic of Angola (Chairperson of the African Union), and African business leaders. Minister Muto noted that over 300 documents of understanding were confirmed and presented at TICAD9, stating that Japan-Africa relations have entered a new phase, and announced three key policy priorities. These include business collaboration and industrial co-creation through the "Japan-Africa Industrial Co-creation Initiative" and the "AI and Data Science Human Resource Development and Africa's Economic Growth Initiative"; connectivity enhancement with third countries through the "Indian Ocean-Africa Economic Zone Initiative"; and strengthening public-private partnerships through enhanced finance support via collaboration between Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) and international development finance institutions, all aimed at building co-creative relationships with Africa.
Decarbonization Cooperation and Economic Relations Enhancement with South Africa
Minister Muto held meetings with three South African ministers: Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau, Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, and Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Blade Nzimande. The meetings welcomed the issuance of a joint statement on decarbonization cooperation and exchanged views on strengthening bilateral economic relations across various fields, particularly in decarbonization. South Africa is an important resource supplier for Japan, and the parties confirmed their intention to build a strategic partnership in energy transition.
Investment Promotion with Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Côte d'Ivoire
In meetings with Vice Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Daniel Mukoko of the Democratic Republic of Congo, discussions focused on business environment improvement and preliminary negotiations for an investment agreement to promote Japanese corporate investment, building on Japanese startups' efforts to address social issues in the mineral-rich country. In meetings with Prime Minister Robert Mambé of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, discussions centered on promoting trade and investment relations with the country, which serves as a business hub in West Africa, welcoming the issuance of a joint statement encompassing trade and investment support, business sector cooperation, and industrial human resource development support. Through partnerships with both countries, Japan aims to achieve both expanded business opportunities for Japanese companies in Africa and local economic development.