DUSHANBE, November 9, 2010, Asia-Plus — President Emomali Rahmon today received Mr. Kiyoshi Kodera, Vice-President of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The sides discussed state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation between Tajikistan and Japan in different fields.
Speaking to reporters following his meeting with President Rahmon, Mr. Kiyoshi Kodera noted that priorities of cooperation between JICA and Tajikistan in the coming four years would include enhancement of health and agrarian sectors of Tajikistan, construction of roads in rural areas, and climate change problems.
He noted that President Emomali Rahmon had called for cooperation in implementation of regional energy and road building projects.
Mr. Kodera noted that annual assistance provided by JICA to Tajikistan amounted on average to 14 million U.S. dollars.
According to the Tajik MFA information department, Mr. Kodera arrived in Dushanbe yesterday on a three-day visit. During his stay in Tajikistan, Mr. Kodera will also hold talks with senior representatives from Tajikistan’s financial, educational and health sectors as well as with senior representatives of Tajik MFA.
JICA has funded a number of educational and health projects have been implemented in Tajikistan. Besides, hundreds of Tajik specialists have taken training courses in Japan with assistance from JICA.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency is an independent governmental agency that coordinates official development assistance (ODA) for the government of Japan. It is chartered with assisting economic and social growth in developing countries, and the promotion of international cooperation.
The current organization was formed on October 1, 2003. Its predecessor, the (Japan) International Cooperation Agency (also known as “JICA”), was a semi-governmental organization under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, formed in 1974.
As of 2005 it is led by President Sadako Ogata, the former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
A major component of the comprehensive overhaul of Japan”s ODA that the Japanese government (Diet) decided on in November, 2006 is the merger in 2008 between JICA and that part of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), which currently extends concessional loans to developing countries.
Since its completion on October 1, 2008, the current JICA has become one of the largest bilateral development organizations in the world with a network of 97 overseas offices and projects in more than 150 countries. The reorganized agency is also responsible for administering part of Japan”s grant aid which is currently under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and so all three major ODA components—technical cooperation, grant aid, and concessional loans—are now managed “under one roof.”
New JICA will also strengthen research and training capacity in the years ahead, acting as a kind of ODA think tank, contributing to global development strategies, strengthening collaboration with international institutions, and being better able to communicate Japan”s position on major development and aid issues.
