Addis Ababa: Japan has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to further elevate the historic partnership with Ethiopia by supporting the nation’s endeavors for the realization of prosperity. The Embassy of Japan in Ethiopia and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Ethiopia office celebrated 70 years of Japan’s international cooperation.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, Japan also commemorated the occasion alongside the 50th anniversary of the dispatch of Japanese volunteers in Ethiopia and the 30th anniversary of the opening of the JICA Ethiopia office. Addressing the occasion, Japan’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Shibata Hironori, stated that Japan and Ethiopia have enjoyed nearly 100 years of friendship. He recalled that Japan’s development assistance in Ethiopia began with technical cooperation provided to the Central Institute of Public Health in 1967.
Since then, Japan has provided multi-layered support, including Yen loans, grant aid, technical cooperation, and humanitarian responses in coop
eration with UN agencies and international organizations, the ambassador further elaborated. Touching upon some of Japan’s priority areas, he noted continuous cooperation for about 50 years in agriculture, education, health, industrial promotion, and water supply. Currently, another pillar of Japan’s assistance is supporting recovery and reconstruction in northern Ethiopia, Hironori revealed.
Reiterating that Japan will continue and make the utmost effort to contribute to Ethiopia’s prosperity, the ambassador expressed confidence in further enhancing the historical bilateral relations between the two countries. State Minister of Agriculture, Melese Mekonnen, highlighted JICA as one of Ethiopia’s key partners, with a long history of cooperation across sectors including agriculture, health, education, private sector development, water technology, and infrastructure development.
Melese pointed out the agriculture sector as having one of the strongest links with Japan. JICA has provided critical support in area
s such as food security, climate change, agricultural insurance, and market-oriented extension to enhance crop production and productivity, thereby ensuring income generation for farmers. Currently, there are nine JICA projects in the agriculture sector, including the promotion of rice production, agricultural insurance, and science and technology promotion projects.
The government of Ethiopia, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture, considers JICA a key and strategic partner, Melese emphasized. The anniversary was attended by ministers and officials of the Ethiopian government, diplomatic corps, UN agencies, international and local organizations, private companies, universities, and JICA experts and volunteers working in Ethiopia.