The Japanese leader is expected to visit Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, and Mozambique to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the continent and the G7, whose rotating presidency was assumed by Japan earlier this year.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (photo) will tour Africa at the end of April to strengthen cooperation between the continent and the group of seven most advanced economies in the world (G7), which is currently headed by Japan. 

The tour was announced by government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno earlier today while speaking at a press conference in Tokyo. At the press conference, Matsuno said the tour will take Kishida to Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, and Mozambique.

He also indicated it would take place during the Golden Week vacation (a week-long vacation in Japan scheduled from April 29 to May 5, Ed. note) ahead of the upcoming G7 Summit, which will be held from May 19 to 21 in Hiroshima, Japan.

"Cooperation with key African countries to address international issues is significant for Japan," Matsuno said.

Last December, believing that Africa remains underrepresented in various global governance bodies, despite its growing economic and demographic weight, the Japanese Prime Minister advocated for the African Union (AU) to be given a permanent seat in the group of the world's 20 largest economies (G20).

"The admission of the African Union to the G20 is important, given the growing role of African countries in the international community," he said after a meeting with Macky Sall -President of Senegal and current chairman of the African Union- in Tokyo.

At the 8th Tokyo International Conference of African Development (TICAD-8), held in August 2022 in Tunis, Japan announced $30 billion in investments in Africa over three years. It also indicated that more than 300,000 Africans will be trained in several fields. The investments aim to counter the influence of its powerful rival, China.