JICA President Shinichi Kitaoka met with Minister Sebastián Palacios of the Republic of Ecuador and the Ministry of Sports at JICA Headquarters on August 3.
At the beginning of the meeting, President Kitaoka congratulated the new Lasso administration on its inauguration in May of this year and the appointment of the new minister, and welcomed the first ministerial visit to Japan by the new administration. He also congratulated the country’s delegation on their success in the Tokyo Olympics (Note 1).
In response, Minister Palacios thanked Japan and JICA for their longstanding cooperation in the fields of disaster prevention and the environment, and expressed his hope for further cooperation in the field of sports, especially through the JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (Note 2).
President Kitaoka emphasized the importance of “sports and development” by stating that all people have the right to enjoy sports regardless of wealth or poverty, and that learning discipline and respect for others through sports can contribute to national development and peace.
Minister Palacios mentioned the first holding of the “JICA Chair (JICA Support Program for the Establishment of Japanese Studies Chair)” in Ecuador (Note 3), and President Kitaoka thanked Ambassador Barberis for his efforts in organizing the chair, and explained the future development of the JICA Chair by utilizing the experience accumulated through the modernization of Japan and development cooperation overseas. He also expressed his hope that through the JICA Chair, Ecuadorian students will deepen their understanding of Japan and that even more foreign students will come to Japan.
© Source JICA