Kenya to host Japan-Africa Summit in August

The sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) will be held in Kenya from August 27 to 28th, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced Sunday on the sidelines of the AU heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa.

Accompanied by senior officials from the Japanese government and the African Union Commission, Kenyatta said Kenya was honored to host the first ever TICAD meeting on the African soil.

"Kenya is privileged to host the TICAD summit which presents a unique opportunity for African countries to engage with Japan and other partners on a range of issues like trade and investments," said the president.

He added the forum will provide a platform for Kenya and other African countries to showcase their investment opportunities in key sectors of the economy.

Kenyatta said the TICAD summit reaffirms Kenya's strategic role in the region, adding that the summit is timely as African states continue to deepen cooperation with strategic allies to advance economic growth and address the continent's pressing challenges.

"The TICAD summit should realign itself with Africa's future development plans. It offers an opportunity to enhance technical cooperation," he said, adding the TICAD summit will promote dialogue on how to accelerate sustainable development in Africa.

Katsuyuki Kawai, the Special Representative of the Prime Minister of Japan to the AU Summit, said Tokyo will strengthen cooperation with African states in areas that unleash mutual benefits. Enditem