Japan PM, UN chief eye cooperation via Africa confab, expo
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres agreed Friday that they will discuss furthering cooperation on the occasions of an international conference on Africa and the World Exposition in Osaka.
During their telephone conversation, Ishiba underscored the importance of the United Nations in tackling global challenges and expressed hope to work with Guterres in reforming the international body, the Japanese government said.
Guterres was quoted as expressing his appreciation for Japan's support of U.N. activities.
Diplomatic sources have said Guterres may visit Japan in late August for the Tokyo International Conference on African Development to be held in August in Yokohama and the expo, which runs until October in Osaka, western Japan.
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