The invitation was delivered by Daishiro Yamagiwa, special envoy of the Japanese Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, during an audience the two held this Friday in Luanda.
"The Japanese envoy sent the head of state a letter of invitation from the Japanese Prime Minister to participate, with the status of co-chair, in the International Conference on African Development (TICAD), which is scheduled for next August in Yokohama", reads a statement from CIPRA to which VerAngola had access.
João Lourenço has been invited to assume the co-chairship of the conference. "President João Lourenço was proposed to co-chair TICAD in view of his capacity as acting President of the African Union", states CIPRA.
Speaking to the press after the meeting, Daishiro Yamagiwa confirmed that he had delivered the letter to João Lourenço.
"I brought a letter from the Prime Minister of Japan to request the cooperation of President Lourenço as co-chair of this conference," he said, adding: "This will be the ninth conference, with a current focus on the economic development of Africa".
On the occasion, Yamagiwa also considered Angola-Japan relations "good", but said there was still "much room" to develop them: "Relations are good, but we believe there is still much room to develop this cooperation", he said, quoted by Angop.
This, which will be the ninth edition of TICAD, will take place between 20 and 22 August in Japan.
"The International Conference on the Development of Africa, which is being held for the ninth time, is a platform created by the government of Japan to promote high-level political dialogue between African and Japanese leaders", CIPRA also said.
