years for the Mekong region to flourish further. Also, on the occasion of the Japan-Viet Nam summit meeting, Japan decided to extend Emergency Budget Support ODA Loans of around 48 billion yen to Viet Nam.

Japan will continue its utmost efforts to expedite implementation of assistance, responding to the requests of the Asian countries.

# Steady Implementation of Assistance towards the Doubling of ODA to Africa

With the TICAD process at the cornerstone of its assistance to Africa, Japan has been actively supporting Africa's own efforts to address the continent's development challenges mainly based on the TICAD process whose principles are ownership by African countries and partnership of the international community.

At the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) held in Yokohama in May 2008, lively discussion was held on the direction of future African development in order to support the recent positive trends in Africa and mobilize the knowledge and resources of the international community. The conference was held under the basic theme of “Towards a Vibrant Africa: Continent of Hope and Opportunity,” and was focused on priorities of “Boosting Economic Growth,” including infrastructure development as well as trade and investment promotion through improvements in the business climate, “Ensuring Human Security, including the Achievement of the MDGs and Consolidation of Peace and Good Governance,” and “Addressing Environmental Issues and Climate Change.” Japan announced that it would double its ODA to Africa and assist in doubling direct investment from Japanese private sector to Africa by 2012, provide ODA loans of up to US$4 billion in five years, and double grant and technical assistance to Africa.

The African continent has over the past five years recorded an average annual economic growth rate of 6%, aided by the economic reforms in the respective countries and the favorable climate of the external economy. However, this all completely changed with global financial and economic crisis after September 2008. First, countries with access to the international financial market such as Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa were impacted by the credit crunch. Then, a downturn in the real economy owing to the worldwide fall in demand, plunge in primary commodity prices, and decline in foreign direct investment began to be seen across the continent. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasted the real GDP growth rate of the African continent in 2009 to be 1.69% (as of October 1, 2009), and the World Bank predicted there will be delays in the achievement of the MDGs in all areas.

If Africa is profoundly affected by this crisis such that its economy, which has attained striking growth in recent years, experiences a slowdown while achievement of the MDGs suffers large setbacks, the efforts of donors, aid organizations, and the countries of Africa would end up with no effect. In order to avoid such a situation, the international community must offer its cooperation.

From the viewpoint above, at the TICAD Ministerial Follow-up Meeting (Note 4) held in Botswana in March 2009,

State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Tetsuro Fukuyama meeting with Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Hope Ruhindi Mwesigye of the Republic of Uganda