Remarks	  Made	  by	  H.	  E.	  Mr.	  ESTIFANOS	  Afeworki,	  Ambassador	  of	  the	  State	  of	  Eritrea	  to	  Japan	  and	  Dean	  of	  the	  African	  Diplomatic	  Corps	  (ADC)	  On	  the	  Reception	  of	  the	  2nd	  Japan	  Africa	  Business	  Forum	  Tokyo	  July	  25,	  2017:	  	  	  Honorable	  Yoshirō	  Mori	  Former	  Prime	  Minister	  of	  Japan	  Honorable	  ministers	  and	  distinguished	  guests	  present	  Honorable	  Ichiro	  Aisawa	  President,	  Japan-­‐AU	  Parliamentary	  Friendship	  League	  	  Honorable	  Hisatake	  Sugi	  Parliamentary	  Vice-­‐Minister	  of	  Finance,	  Japan	  	  Mr.	   Charles	   Owusu	   Boamah	   Senior	   Vice	   President	   of	   the	   African	   Development	  Bank	  Group	  (AfDB)	  Mr.	   Yasuhiko	   Yokoi	   Chairman	   of	   the	   Africa-­‐Japan	   Relations	   Committee,	   Keizai	  Doyukai	  Executive	  Vice	  President,	  Toyota	  Tsusho	  Corporation	  Distinguished	  participants	  Colleagues	  from	  the	  diplomatic	  corps	  Ladies	  and	  gentlemen	  	  	  Good	  evening,	  	  After	  the	  Sixth	  Tokyo	  International	  Conference	  on	  African	  Development	  (TICAD	  -­‐VI)	  held	  in	  Nairobi	  in	  2016	  Japan	  and	  the	  African	  Development	  Bank	  (AfDB)	  have	  agreed	   to	   start	   up	   a	   project	   called	   Japan-­‐Africa	   Energy	   Initiative	   with	   an	   amount	  of	   US$6	   billion.	   This	   Initiative	   will	   definitely	   contribute	   towards	   African	  countries	   critically	   needed	   energy	   demands.	   The	   Japan	   International	  Cooperation	   Agency	   (JICA)	   has	   also	   signed	   a	   JPY34.41	   billion	   (about	   US$	   300	  million)	  loan	  agreement	  with	  the	  African	  Development	  Bank	  under	  the	  Enhanced	  Private	   Sector	   Assistance	   (EPSA)	   initiative,	   which	   is	   a	   component	   of	   Japan’s	  Official	  Development	  Assistance	  (ODA)	  to	  Africa.	  This	  a	  clear	  sign	  that	  the	  pledge	  made	  in	  Nairobi	  by	  PM	  ABE	  on	  Japan’s	  Official	  Development	  Assistance	  (ODA)	  to	  Africa	  i.e.	  US$	  30	  billion	  pledge	  and	  its	  components	  are	  getting	  fast	  trucked	  into	  the	  TICAD	  implementation	  process	  of	  2016	  –	  2019.	  This	  is	  indeed	  a	  good	  signal	  to	  the	  strategic	  business	  interest	  of	  African	  countries	  and	  Japan.	  It	  is	  also	  a	  very	  significant	   qualitative	   and	   quantitative	   progress	   from	   the	   1st	   Japan	   Africa	  Business	  Forum	  of	  2014	  to	  the	  current	  2nd	  Japan	  Africa	  Business	  of	  2017.	  	  	  	  These	   and	   other	   initiatives	   that	   are	   being	   taken	   bilaterally	   and	   multilaterally	  with	  African	  countries	  by	  Japan	  will	  definitely	  give	  additional	  energy	  and	  power	  to	  the	  forum.	  	  	  Words	  are	  good	  to	  hear	  but	  it	  is	  always	  good	  to	  remember:	  it	  is	  only	  action	  taken	  by	   the	   private	   and	   public	   sector	   that	   will	   enhance	   trade	   and	   investment	   and	  drive	   infrastructural	   development,	   which	   is	   key	   component	   to	   the	   continued	  efforts	  of	  industrial	  development	  in	  our	  African	  countries	  as	  well	  as	  in	  Japan.	  	  	  Therefore	   in	   my	   capacity	   as	   Dean	   of	   the	   African	   Diplomatic	   Corps	   (ADC)	   and	  Ambassador	   of	   the	   State	   of	   Eritrea	   to	   Japan,	   it	   is	   prudent	   to	   congratulate	   and	  welcome	  these	  constructive	  steps	  being	  undertaken	  by	  Japan	  and	  the	  AfDB	  this	  evening.	   Announcements	   made	   this	   morning	   in	   the	   opening	   statement	   of	  Honorable	   Hisatake	   Sugi	   Parliamentary	   Vice-­‐Minister	   of	   Finance	   of	   Japan	   have	  also	  further	  confirmed	  this	  fact	  to	  the	  forum.	  	  1	  	  Currently	   there	   are	   38	   African	   missions	   in	   Tokyo.	   We	   are	   ready	   to	   serve	   as	   a	  communications	  bridge.	  Please	  use	  as.	  	  I	   am	   happy	   to	   see	   former	   Prime	   Minister	   Mori	   among	   us	   today.	   He	   is	   a	   great	  friend	   of	   Africa.	   	   Thank	   you	   Mr.	   Prime	   Minister	   for	   coming	   and	   blessing	   this	  important	  forum	  with	  your	  presence.	  	  	  Last	  but	  not	  least	  let	  me	  welcome	  you	  all	  to	  this	  forum	  and	  wish	  success	  to	  the	  continued	  deliberation	  and	  as	  the	  Japanese	  say:	  	  	  Yokoso!	  	  	  	  2