Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, TSUJI Kiyoto, met with Yacine Oualid, Algeria’s Minister of Knowledge Economy, Start-ups, and Micro-Enterprises, on Friday and discussed development and economic integration in Africa.

Oualid is visiting Japan to attend the Ministerial Meeting of the Conference on African Development (TICAD).

State Minister Tsuji expressed his appreciation for Algeria’s moves to diversify its industries and to support startups, noting the creativity of its young labor force. 

Oualid welcomed the Tax Convention and the Agreement for the Establishment of a Japan-Algeria Intergovernmental Joint Economic Committee, which became effective this year, and said he hoped to hold the first meeting of the Joint Economic Committee at an early date.

Tsuji told the Algerian Minister that Japan appreciates his country’s efforts to contribute to peace and stability in the Sahel region, including economic development, and expressed his hope to work with Algeria in the context of African development, referring to both countries’ cooperation as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. 

Oualid explained Algeria’s efforts in industrial diversification and economic integration in Africa and expressed his intention to work in partnership with Japan.

Both sides agreed on the importance of further developing Japan-Algeria relations and looked forward to TICAD 9 in 2025.