ADDIS ABABA – The Embassy of Japan and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Ethiopia Office celebrated 70 years of Japan’s development cooperation with Ethiopia which was launched in 1954 when the latter joined in the Colombo Plan.
Japan is also marking the 50th anniversary of dispatching of volunteers to Ethiopia and the 30th anniversary of the opening of JICA Ethiopia Office, highlighting the two countries shared achievements and future aspirations.
In his welcoming remark yesterday, Japanese Ambassador to Ethiopia SHIBATA Hironori said that the two countries have enjoyed nearly 100-years of friendship since the Treaty of Amity and Commerce was signed in 1930 during the Ethiopian imperial era. This treaty marked the first diplomatic relations Japan opened with an African country.
Currently, another pillar of Japanese assistance is the support in the northern part of Ethiopia, for recovery and reconstruction, which includes education, health and peace building. “We have invited about 3,700 Ethiopians to Japan, including government staff, as well as having dispatched about 2,200 Japanese experts to various ministries in Ethiopia and over 700 Japanese Overseas Cooperation Volunteers in total have been dispatched to work with Ethiopian vocational counterparts.”
“We strongly hope that this will lead to the further enhancement of the historically cordial bilateral relations between our two countries, and peace and prosperity for the world.It is my pleasure to welcome you all to this pivotal occasion celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA), jointly hosted by the Embassy of Japan and the JICA. Our development cooperation is characterized by respect for recipient countries’ ownership and their own efforts in development, as well as equal partnerships with them. Based on the idea that “Nation building begins with human resource building” Japan has been engaged in a wide range of human resource development, high-quality infrastructure development, and other activities,” the ambassador remarked.
During the event, Agriculture State Minister Meles Mekonnen (PhD) said that JICA has been working across various sectorsin Ethiopia including agriculture, education, health and private sector development and infrastructure development.
JICA has been supporting in many areas such as in food security, climate change, and agricultural insurance market oriented extension to enhance crop production and productivity thereby ensuring income generation for farmers. Currently there are nine JICA projects in agriculture sector that includes promotion of rice production, market oriented extension delivery through small holder horticulture empowerment and promotion, agricultural insurance, science and technology research partnership project and others.
JICA Ethiopia Office Country Representative Oshima Kensuke said that the main focus areas of the organization are human resource development, enhancing manufacturing sectors to sustain Ethiopia’s sustainable economic growth.
Only in Amhara state in 2023, 3000 farmers have trained, and also JICA is working to improve access to safe water and ensure the public’s access to education and enhance education quality. “Since 2007, 76 schools were constructed and we have been assisting road connectivity via construction and infrastructure improvement.”
BY MISGANAW ASNAKE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2024
