Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said here Saturday that Group of Eight (G8) summit in Japan this year would tackle issues related to development and Africa.
"The G8 summit, under the theme of development, will take up development issues around the globe, including those in Africa," said Fukuda addressing the World Economic Forum (WEF)'s annual meeting in the Alpine ski resort.
He said the 4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) will be held in Yokohama in May to advance discussions on African development.
This year marks the halfway point for the international community to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the G8 summit will focus on health, water and education-related issues, he said.
Fukuda said that financial resources and institutions necessary to realize the continent's development goals are still "far from adequate."
He said Japan intends to put forth a blueprint for region-wide infrastructure development, including a road network and electricity grids, with a view to creating an appealing environment that will attract private investment.
Meanwhile, the Japanese leader promised to promote south-south cooperation between Asia and Africa at the TICAD and the G8 summit, which is scheduled for July 7-9 in Hokkaido, Japan.
He called for promoting global comprehensive cooperation in health and the formulation of a framework for action to raise the overall level of the health care system with the participation of all relevant stakeholders.
On water issues, he said Japan intends to promote international cooperation for the effective management of water.
It will be necessary to strengthen international collaboration to achieve the Dakar Education for All goals, which aims at expanding high-quality basic education, he said.
Source: Xinhua
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