|
On August 5, a briefing from the heads of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) regional offices in Asia was hosted by DPJ International Department Director-General Yutaka Banno, with Diet Affairs Committee Chair Shinji Tarutoko also addressing the gathering. The meeting was attended by around fifty DPJ Diet members, including Yoshiaki Takagi, who chairs a parliamentarian’s league that supports Japan’s overseas efforts, particularly the activities of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV).
During the briefing, the heads of JICA’s offices in Indonesia, Vietnam, India and Afghanistan reported on the details of aid efforts and the challenges they faced in their respective regions.
Takagi expressed his appreciation for the fact that so many Diet members had attended this briefing, as had also been the case with a meeting held by the Prime Minister in June to hear reports from JOCV participants who had returned from activities overseas. He said this showed the depth of the party’s interest in overseas matters, and stressed that he hoped that cooperation, including that in the fields of improving infrastructure and human resource exchanges, could be deepened in future.
Following the briefing, a lively discussion took place. Banno said that he would like to engage in further discussions in order to consider the shape of Japan’s international assistance, and to aim for global peace and development.
|
.jpg)
