Remarks	  Made	  by	  H.	  E.	  Mr.	  ESTIFANOS	  Afeworki	  Ambassador	  of	  the	  State	  of	  Eritrea	  to	  Japan	  and	  Head	  of	  the	  Delegation	  of	  the	  State	  of	  Eritrea	  On	  the	  	  Occasion	   of	   the	   TICAD	   VI	   Ministerial	   Follow-­‐up	   Meeting	   Maputo	  Mozambique	  August	  24	  to	  25,	  2017:	  	  	  Co-­‐Chairs	  	  Your	  Excellencies	  Ladies	  and	  Gentlemen,	  (All	  protocol	  observed)	  	  	  Let	  me	  start	  by	  extending	  our	  delegations’	  heartfelt	  thanks	  and	  gratitude	  to	  the	  brotherly	  welcome	  and	  hospitality	  extended	  to	  us	  by	  the	  Government	  and	  people	  of	   Mozambique.	   	   On	   the	   onset,	   let	   me	   also	   take	   this	   opportunity	   to	   express	   to	  Japan	   our	   delegations’	   appreciation	   for	   the	   continued	   generosity	   and	   support	  provided	   to	   our	   nation	   building	   efforts	   through	   the	   Tokyo	   International	  Cooperation	   on	   Africa	   Development	   (TICAD)	   Process.	   We	   are	   grateful	   for	   the	  more	  than	  USD180	  million	  grant	  assistance	  provided	  through	  various	  projects	  in	  the	  last	  24	  years.	  	  Realizing	  the	  cardinal	  role	  investment	  and	  trade	  plays	  in	  the	  mutual	  interest	  and	  development	   imperatives	   of	   countries,	   the	   delegation	   of	   Eritrea	   welcomes	   and	  encourages	   Japan	   public	   and	   private	   sector	   to	   participate	   through	   ODA,	   equity,	  shares	   and	   loan	   programs	   in	   the	   development	   and	   utilization	   of	   our	   country’s	  ideal	  location	  in	  the	  Red	  Sea	  coast	  of	  Africa,	  rich	  resources	  and	  growing	  business	  opportunities	   availed	   in	   the	   country.	   In	   this	   respect,	   it	   is	   the	   first	   wish	   of	   our	  delegation	   to	   bring	   this	   overriding	   need	   -­‐	   on	   this	   TICAD	   VI	   Ministerial	   Follow-­‐up	  Meeting	  for	  the	  Government	  and	  the	  private	  sector	  of	  Japan	   -­‐	  to	  take	  full	  account	  of	   these	   ideal	   circumstances	   -­‐	   in	   order	   to	   garner	   the	   needed	   political	   will,	  attention,	  transfer	  of	  technology	  and	  resources	  through	  the	  TICAD	  process	  	  Prime	   Minister	   Abe	   has	   indicated	   in	   the	   statement	   delivered	   in	   the	   TICAD	   V	   to	  use	   aid	   as	   it	   see	   fit.	   Eritrea	   has	   responded	   to	   this	   by	   putting	   on	   the	   table	   its	  priorities	   of	   cooperation.	   It	   has	   shared	   with	   Japan	   in	   subsequent	   high	   level	  economic	   policy	   consultation	   meetings	   held	   in	   Tokyo	   and	   Asmara	   all	   possible	  priorities	   of	   cooperation	   envisaged	   in	   the	   TICAD	   process	   such	   as	   in	   education,	  agriculture,	  fisheries,	  energy,	  capacity	  building	  in	  medical	  and	  health	  care,	  other	  projects	  aimed	  at	  post	  conflict	  infrastructure	  improvements	  -­‐	  including	  but	  not	  excluding	  the	  participation	  of	  overseas	  enterprises	  of	  Japan	  in	  such	  efforts.	  	  In	  the	  past	  years,	  Eritrea	  has	  also	  brought	  into	  the	  attention	  of	  the	  Government	  of	   Japan	   its	   special	   needs	   regarding	   adaptation	   to	   climate	   change,	   post	   conflict	  rehabilitation	   and	   a	   continued	   obligation	   to	   maintain	   sustainable	   and	   inclusive	  growth.	   Eritrea	   is	   currently	   keenly	   committed	   also	   in	   the	   follow-­‐up	   and	  implementation	   of	   the	   Nairobi	   Declaration,	   among	   which	   universal	   health	  coverage	   through	   resilient	   health	   systems	   was	   stated	   as	   a	   TICAD	   priority	   area	   of	  cooperation	   under	   pillar	   2.	   	   	   Our	   delegations	   applaud	   Japan’s	   contribution	   to	   the	  building	  and	  improvement	  of	  resilience	  to	  our	  health	  sector.	  We	  also	  applaud	  the	  	  1	  role	  of	  GAVI,	  the	  Vaccine	  Alliance	  in	  its	  significant	  contribution	  to	  more	  equitable	  and	  affordable	  access	  to	  vaccines	  to	  save	  children’s	  lives.	  	  Undoubtedly,	  current	  efforts	   to	   develop	   malaria	   vaccine	   are	   not	   only	   welcome	   news	   but	   also	   a	   great	  step	  in	  the	  right	  direction	  to	  reduce	  the	  mortality	  rate	  in	  Africa.	  	  	  Therefore,	   first	   and	   foremost	   it	   is	   appropriate	   to	   express	   in	   this	   important	  meeting	  of	  today	  that	  Eritrea	  expects	  to	  be	  among	  the	  beneficiary	  states	  of	  Africa	  from	   the	   USD30	   billion	   pledges	   made	   by	   Japan	   at	   the	   2016	   TICAD	   VI	   Nairobi	  Summit.	  	  Eritrea	  is	  ready	  to	  work	  in	  partnership	  and	  hand-­‐in-­‐hand	  with	  Japan	  supported	  through	  the	  available	  bilateral/multilateral	  conduits	  of	  cooperation	  of	  the	  TICAD	  process.	  	  	  	  I	  thank	  you!	  	  	  	  	  	  	  .	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  2