Malawi’s presidnet arrives in Japan Thursday for 5th Tokyo International Development Conference

Yokohama, Japan, May 29: President Dr. Joyce Banda is expected to arrive in Japan on Thursday to attend the Fifth Tokyo International Development Conference (TICAD).

The conference, to bring together more than 40 Heads of Government at the invitation of the Japanese Government, is to be held in Yokohama from June 1-3.

While in Japan, President Dr. Banda will attend a Symposium on Business Companies, according to Malawi’s Ambassador to Japan, Brigadier Reuben Ngwenya.
Brigadier Ngwenya said Dr. Banda would also hold bilateral meetings with the President of Japan Oil, Gas and Metal National Corporation, Executive Director of World Food Programme outside the main programme of the TICAD Conference.

The Malawi leader, besides holding side meetings, is also expected to sign a grant agreement for Lilongwe Teacher’s Training College with the President of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Brigadier Ngwenya said that the President had also been requested to be the key speaker during a Thematic Session on “Driving African Development through Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment” as well as join the other four Heads of State who will be Discussants during TICAD V Symposium on “Return on Investments of Maternal Health: Family Planning 2020 and the Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA)”.

“There have been several requests from various stakeholders and organisations for Her Excellency the State President to speak during the meetings, and this has been a challenge considering the tight schedule of the programme”, he said.

TICAD is held every five years to review progress made in various thematic areas and specify problems and possible areas of solution to support inclusive and sustainable growth and improve the quality of growth in Africa to ensure all benefit from the growth.