“I would like to make it clear that the presence at this meeting of any entity that Japan does not recognize as a state does not affect Japan’s position on the status of that entity,” Iwaya told African ministers and representatives of international organizations gathered for the conference.
This solemn statement is consistent with previous Japanese positions, notably at the meeting of senior officials and in public statements by the Japanese foreign minister.
Japan, committed to international legitimacy, was thus keen to avoid any ambiguity, emphasizing that the separatist entity’s intrusion into meetings under the guise of the African Union does not confer upon it any state legitimacy.
This position is in line with that of the UN and the overwhelming majority of its member states, which refuse to recognize the separatist entity and broadly support the autonomy initiative presented by Morocco in 2007.
TICAD-9 is taking place in Yokohama, Japan, from August 19 to 23, with the main objective of promoting development and cooperation in Africa, in peace and stability.
Editorial team/le7tv