JICA President Shinichi Kitaoka met with Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masatsugu Asakawa at JICA headquarters on August 20. At the beginning of the meeting, both parties touched on the tense international situation in Afghanistan and Myanmar, and shared the recognition of the need to pay particular attention to the impact of drastic changes in the social environment on vulnerable groups. President Asakawa (right) and Chancellor Kitaoka
President Asakawa introduced the ADB-led support for new coronavirus disease control through the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX) and other programs, and expressed hope for further collaboration with JICA. President Kitaoka agreed. President Kitaoka agreed, and stressed the importance of strengthening healthcare systems and improving living conditions through the “JICA Global Healthcare Initiative” launched by JICA last year, and the importance of mutually complementary cooperation between bilateral and multilateral aid agencies in order to prevent further widening of disparities caused by the coronavirus crisis. He also stressed the importance of complementary cooperation between bilateral and multilateral aid agencies.
Based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) already signed by both organizations, the two parties exchanged views on cooperation, especially in the health sector, and on the promotion of quality infrastructure investment through overseas investments and loans, and confirmed that they will continue to actively cooperate with each other.
President Asakawa also introduced ADB’s active efforts to review climate change measures in preparation for the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) scheduled to be held in November this year in the UK, and introduced the policy to fully align all ADB operations with the Paris Agreement targets in the future as well as the revised energy sector support The revised policy was introduced.
JICA will continue to work with domestic and international partners to minimize the damage caused by the infection in developing regions and to restore economies, while making utmost efforts to ensure the safety of domestic and international parties affected by the corona crisis.
© Source JICA