In the Tunisian capital, Tunis, African heads of state and a Japanese delegation have convened to discuss fostering “African-led” development.
Visitors to the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development, or TICAD, were greeted by Tunisian President Kais Saied.
Despite having tested positive for Covid-19, Fumio Kishida, the prime minister of Japan, joined the summit being presided over by Macky Sall, the chair of the African Union, via video link.
Senegalese President Sall expressed his confidence in the conference.
“Almost 30 years after its launch, the Tokyo International Conference for African Development continues to deliver on its promises with concrete results in the areas of education, agriculture, health and water, to give just a few examples,” he said.
Measures to limit China’s influence in Africa are on the table. In recent years, China has progressively increased its power in the area, most notably through the grandiose “Silk Roads” project.
The covid epidemic and, more recently, the war in Ukraine, which has an impact on wheat imports, have made Tunisia’s ongoing political and economic problems worse. As a result, the summit is particularly crucial for Tunisia.
Approximately 80 projects totaling 2.7 billion dollars in the fields of health, transportation, space, and renewable energy are expected to generate 35,700 jobs, and Tunisia aims to use the summit to attract investors.
A total of 30 heads of state are present at the summit, which runs through Sunday.
