Politics & Government

Japan, S. Africa Agree on Food Security Cooperation

Courtesy of Japanese Foreign Ministry
Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi shakes hands with his Ugandan counterpart Abubakar Jeje Odongo at a meeting in the Ugandan capital of Kampala on Wednesday.

By Minako Sasako / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

14:23 JST, August 3, 2023

JOHANNESBURG —Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, who is touring Africa, held a meeting on Tuesday with his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor in Pretoria, the country’s capital. The two confirmed their countries would cooperate to ensure food security in Africa, amid growing concerns over food shortages in the region due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Hayashi then met with Ugandan Foreign Minister Abubakar Jeje Odongo, becoming the first Japanese foreign minister to visit the East African country. The meeting was apparently aimed at strengthening ties with Uganda, which has been pro-Russia.