Courtesy Call on Parliamentary Vice-Minister Ms. ERI Arfiya by Mr. FANOHIZA Claude, General Secretary of the President’s Office, Republic of Madagascar

On March 26, commencing at 12:30 p.m. (for approximately 15 minutes), Ms. ERI Arfiya, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, received a courtesy call from Mr. FANOHIZA Claude, General Secretary of the President’s Office, Republic of Madagascar. The overview is as follows:

1. At the outset, Parliamentary Vice-Minister Eri welcomed the first visit to Japan by General Secretary FANOHIZA, and stated that Madagascar, located along a key sea lane connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe, is an important partner in promoting a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) and that through ensuring maritime connectivity and enhancing maritime security capabilities, Japan intends to cooperate in maintaining a free and open maritime order based on the rule of law. In response, General Secretary FANOHIZA expressed his appreciation for Japan’s past support and his intention to further develop the friendly relations between Japan and Madagascar.

2. Parliamentary Vice-Minister Eri stated that Madagascar is also an important partner for Japan from the perspective of economic security, and requested cooperation to improve the business environment, referring to one of the largest-scale nickel and cobalt production projects among Japanese investment projects in Africa being implemented in Madagascar. In response, General Secretary FANOHIZA expressed his willingness to continue to work together to ensure the stable operation of the project.

3. Both sides confirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation in the international arena in the run-up to TICAD 9 this August.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.