Michelle Obama highlights cooperation with Japan on girls'education

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama stresses collaboration in advancing girls education with Japan on Thursday while meeting with Japan's first lady Akie Abe.

The Obama administration launched "Let Girls Learn" program two weeks ago to expand its effort to help adolescent girls worldwide attend and complete school.

The first lady's five-day trip starting Wednesday to Asian is focusing on helping about 62 million girls around the world, half of whom are adolescent, to go to school.

"Today we are pleased to announce that the United States and Japan will partner in this critical area, elevating the issue of girls' education on their shared development agenda," said the first lady. "With this new partnership between our two nations, we are issuing a call to action to nations around the world."

As two of the largest economies in the world, the United States will allocate 250 million U.S. dollars in new and reallocated funds in support of the "Let Girls Learn" program in its FY 2016 Budget.

Japan will commit Official Development Assistance in excess of 42 billion yen (340 million U.S. dollars) over three years starting from 2015 for girl's empowerment and gender-sensitive education.

Michelle Obama's visit to Japan comes in advance of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to the U.S. a month later. She will travel to Kyoto on March 20 and leave for Cambodia on the same day. Endi