Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs ERI's attendance at the symposium 'Empowering Lesotho: Unlocking Finance to Drive the Energy Transition in a Land-Locked Developing Country'
At the outset, Parliamentary Vice-Minister ERI welcomed the visit of H.M. Letsie III and H.M. Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso to Japan, and stated that, since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971, Japan and Lesotho have built cordial relations through cooperation in areas such as food security, renewable energy, education, and health.
Parliamentary Vice-Minister ERI mentioned Japan's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and expressed her hope to work with Lesotho, which is actively promoting the transition to renewable energy by leveraging its abundant water resources and high-quality renewable energy resources, to lead global efforts for climate change measures and promote economic development.
Parliamentary Vice-Minister ERI mentioned that the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) will be held in Yokohama in August this year, and concluded her remarks by expressing her hope to take this opportunity to create innovative solutions that will lead to the prosperity of both Japan and Africa by leveraging Japanese technology and expertise on various topics including the renewable energy sector, which was discussed in this symposium.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Zawya
24 minutes ago
- Zawya
Japan July 20 election results could impact fiscal health, ratings, Moody's says
TOKYO - Japan's upcoming upper house election could have important implications for fiscal health and credit ratings if it brings large tax cuts, Moody's Ratings said. The July 20 vote is crucial for the continuity of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration, especially after his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner Komeito lost their majority in the lower house at a snap poll in October. The coalition plans to include cash handouts in their campaign pledges to help households cope with inflation, but has resisted calls from opposition parties for tax cuts. If tax reduction pressure increases in connection with the election, it could be negative for the country's rating, depending on how large and long-lasting the cuts are, said Christian de Guzman, a manager with Moody's Sovereign and Sub-Sovereign Risk Group. Moody's has rated Japan A1, the fifth-highest level, with a "stable" outlook since December 2014. In May, the agency stripped its top rating from the United States, citing the nation's growing debt and widening fiscal deficit. Japan's debt burden is significant, with the country's debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio the highest in the developed world, at about 250%. The Japanese government bond market got a jolt in May when fiscal concerns and poor demand at debt auctions triggered a plunge in super-long bonds, sending yields to record levels. Even so, Japan has strong "debt affordability," as its domestic borrowing rates are low and tax revenue is sufficient to service the debt, Singapore-based de Guzman said. "There have been some positive trends with regards to government revenue, but what would perhaps compel us to rethink our rating is if there is a very material deterioration in debt affordability," he added. The surge in long-term JGB yields in May was more of a global phenomenon, and a more worrying trend would be if Japan saw an large increase in rates across its yield curve, according to de Guzman.


Zawya
2 hours ago
- Zawya
Japan's 10-year bonds track US Treasury declines after strong jobs data
TOKYO - Japan's 10-year government bonds (JGBs) inched down on Friday, tracking declines in U.S. Treasuries after strong U.S. jobs data bolstered the case for the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates on hold. The 10-year JGB yield rose 0.5 basis point (bp) to 1.445%. Yields move inversely to bond prices. U.S. Treasury yields advanced on Thursday after data showed the world's largest economy created more jobs than expected last month. "Japan's yields tracked U.S. Treasury yields higher, but the moves were limited amid a lack of market-moving cues ahead of the weekend," said Takahiro Otsuka, a senior fixed income strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities. The five-year yield was flat at 0.985%, after hitting 1% earlier in the session. The two-year JGB yield was flat at 0.745%. The 20-year JGB yield was flat at 2.36%. The 30-year JGB yield edged up 0.5 bp to 2.86%. The yield jumped 6 bps in the previous session after a weak auction of the bonds. The 40-year JGB yield was flat at 3.125%. The 10-year JGB futures were 0.07 point higher at 139.94. (Reporting by Junko Fujita; Editing by Rashmi Aich)


Zawya
3 hours ago
- Zawya
Jordan's cabinet approves framework to boost green hydrogen projects
AMMAN – The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a "comprehensive" framework aimed at accelerating the development of green hydrogen projects across the Kingdom. The newly endorsed mechanism outlines a strategic vision to position the Kingdom as a "regional" hub for green hydrogen production, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, said. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources prepared the framework, which emphasises Jordan's natural and regulatory advantages, and presents the Kingdom as an 'attractive' destination for investment in this "emerging" sector. The ministry described the framework for developing green hydrogen projects as a "strategic step towards positioning Jordan as a regional centre for green hydrogen production." The ministry said that the framework outlines a comprehensive national vision that leverages Jordan's "abundant renewable energy resources, particularly solar and wind power, as well as the country's vast, unutilised lands suitable for green hydrogen development." The concept paper, prepared by the ministry, highlights Jordan's natural and regulatory advantages, noting that they make the Kingdom an attractive destination for investment in the emerging green hydrogen sector, according to Petra. The approved mechanism includes a "detailed" plan to facilitate investment in the industry, and designates strategic sites in southern Jordan for renewable energy production and allocate an "industrial zone" within the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority for establishing green hydrogen plants and water desalination facilities. The plan entails the development of shared infrastructure in Aqaba, including desalination units, green ammonia storage facilities, export terminals and other critical logistics needed for project implementation. The mechanism offers a package of incentives backed by current legislation to attract investors, including the Investment Environment Law and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Law. It also establishes a "contractual" pathway for investors, from signing memoranda of understanding and conducting feasibility studies to securing land-use agreements and finalising investment contracts. The government has formed a national green hydrogen committee comprising relevant stakeholders. The committee will oversee implementation of the strategy and coordinate related investments in line with Jordan's broader vision for strengthening food security, increasing exports, and transitioning to a sustainable, green economy. The government last week approved two land-use agreements, one with Jordan's Philadelphia Solar and the other with Germany's Enertrag, to conduct feasibility studies for green hydrogen production projects. "These are part of the government's broader strategy to position Jordan as a regional hub for green hydrogen," the statement read. With these agreements, the number of approved land-use deals for hydrogen development has reached six, out of 13 MoUs previously signed with leading energy companies. The six firms have completed preliminary feasibility studies and technical reports and are now advancing to the land allocation stage, the statement said. During this phase, companies will carry out "detailed" measurements of renewable energy sources to prepare "final" feasibility studies. Investment decisions will be based on these outcomes, the statement said. © Copyright The Jordan Times. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (