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Zambia

Japan to double aid to Africa in three years

LUSAKA, Jul 12, 2005 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Japan will double its official development assistance to Africa in the next three years, Japanese Ambassador to Zambia Masaaki Miyashita said here Tuesday.
He make the remarks while addressing a signing ceremony where Japan agreed to provide 17 million US dollars to the southern African country for four projects.

"Japan will also continue to lead international discussions on African development, capitalizing on its experience with the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD)," he said.

Miyashita said the fourth TICAD meeting will be held in Tokyo in 2008.

He also announced that Japan will cancel debts totaling 640 million dollars, or three trillion kwacha, owed by Zambia during the course of 2005.

This follows a 720 million dollars (about 3.4 trillion kwacha) debt relief signed during a visit to Japan by Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa in January 2005, the ambassador said.

By Tuesday's agreement, Japan will offer Zambia 14.6 million dollars for financing three new projects in Zambia, namely, the ground water development and sanitation improvement in Northern Province, the construction of basic schools in Lusaka and the improvement and maintenance of Lusaka city roads.

Japan will also providing 2.4 million dollars as additional funding for the improvement of living environment for unplanned urban settlements in Lusaka, a project launched in June 2004 with an aid of 1.8 million dollars from Japan.