On April 4th, Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan held telephone talks respectively with H.E. Mr. Abdallah BOUHABIB, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of the Lebanese Republic, H. E. Mr. Sameh SHOUKRY, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt and H. E. Mr. Ayman SAFADI, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, to discuss the situation surrounding Palestine and Israel, after having held telephone talks with H.E. Dr. Mohammad Mustafa, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Palestine on April 2nd and H.E. Mr. Israel KATZ, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel on April 3rd. These telephones talks come in the context of the announcement by the Government of Japan on its decision to lift the suspension of financial contributions to UNRWA and to provide assistance while checking the appropriateness on the use of funds. The overview is as follows:

Foreign Ministers’ telephone talks held today

H.E. Mr. Abdallah BouHabib, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of the Lebanese Republic (commencing at 5:00 p.m. for approximately 15 minutes)
H.E. Mr. Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt (commencing at 5:25 p.m. for approximately 20 minutes)
H.E. Mr. Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (commencing at 6:10 for approximately 20 minutes)

Resumption of the funding by the Government of Japan to UNRWA

In each of the telephone talks, having expressed her strong sense of urgency on the continuing deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Minister Kamikawa referred to the role Japan played in the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution on March 25th, which pointed out the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire during Ramadan and the expansion of humanitarian assistance. Minister Kamikawa referred to Japan’s announcement made on April 2nd, regarding its decision to lift the suspension of financial contributions to UNRWA, and to provide assistance while checking the appropriateness on the use of funds, in light of the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and UNRWA’s measures to improve its governance. Minister Kamikawa also stated that Japan, through the funding, would provide assistance such as medical services for Palestinians in the neighboring countries and areas, and provide supplies for women and infants to respond to the poor sanitary conditions in the Gaza Strip.
In addition, during the meeting with Minister Shoukry of Egypt, Minister Kamikawa stated that the Government of Japan decided last month to provide assistance through WHO in response to the medical and health needs of Egypt, which has been receiving seriously injured patients, newborns and others from the Gaza Strip.

Responses from each of the Ministers are as follows:

Minister BouHabib of Lebanon expressed his appreciation for Japan’s assistance to Lebanon and Palestine to date, as well as for the resumption of Japan’s contribution to UNRWA and his expectation for Japan’s continued support to the Palestinian people in the region.
Minister Shoukry of Egypt stated that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is extremely serious and that the resumption of funding to UNRWA by Japan is a right decision. He highly appreciated Japan’s assistance to Palestine, and expressed his expectation and gratitude for Japan’s role in the international arena including in the UN Security Councuil.
Minister Safadi of Jordan stated that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is extremely serious and requires constant support, and that as a host country with many Palestinian refugees, he highly appreciated Japan’s support for Palestine, including the resumption of contributions to UNRWA. He also expressed his gratitude for Japan’s assistance to Jordan to date.

Furthermore, Minister Kamikawa exchanged views with Ministers of Egypt and Jordan, respectively, on the necessity of increasing flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza as well as on the casualties of aid workers caused by attacks in Gaza.

In addition, Minister Kamikawa also exchanged views with each of the Ministers on the recent developments in Gaza and stated that Japan supports a “two-state solution” and stands ready to proactively contribute to the reform of the Palestinian Authority to that end. Minister Kamikawa discussed, especially with Minister Shoukry of Egypt, the possible spillover of the situation into the region and the attack on an Iranian facility in Syria.

Minister Kamikawa and each of the Ministers concurred on maintaining close cooperation toward the peace and stability in the Middle East and on further strengthening the bilateral coordination.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, 3rd April, 2024, welcomed his Kenyan counterpart, President William Samoei Ruto, who is on a three-day visit to Ghana, at the Jubilee House in Accra.

The visit, President Akufo-Addo says, is to reaffirm the ties of cooperation and the bonds of friendship that the two countries attach to their relations with each other, at a time of great turbulence in global and continental spheres.

Forged from colonial times when both countries were in the common struggle to free themselves from the yoke of colonialism and imperialism and create conditions for dignified and free lives for their peoples, diplomatic relations between Ghana and Kenya were established shortly after Kenya gained independence in 1963, and have been active participants in regional and international fora, collaborating widely on issues of mutual interest such as peacekeeping, regional integration and sustainable development.

In a country famed for their enviable hospitality, discussions upon President Ruto’s visit, centered on driving investment opportunities, domestic and foreign, into both countries and touched on the need for enhanced cooperation and partnership in shared developmental efforts.

Held in an atmosphere of brotherly cordiality and fruitful exchanges, the discussions also focused further on the areas of education, agriculture, defense co-operation, immigration, environment, science and technology, petroleum and hydro-carbons resources, tourism and security, were.

According to President Akufo-Addo, under the Guided Trade Initiative of the AfCFTA, which has enabled Ghana for instance, to make significant inroads into the East African market, notably Kenya and Tanzania, the participation of Ghana, Kenya and six other countries, “will stimulate intra-African trade, amplify our competitive advantage and solidify our status within the global market.”

Touching on the several Memoranda of Understanding signed on various areas of cooperation between the two countries, President Akufo-Addo said the implementation of these MoUs will invigorate and spearhead cooperation in various sectors between our two countries.

“Just as the first leaders of our two nations, Kwame Nkrumah and Jomo Kenyatta, were united by their common determination to free our peoples from foreign domination and racist exploitation, so are we united in our determination to win the battle for rapid economic development by helping to intensify the value adding, industrial transformation of our economies anchored on the things we make and grow,” he said. 

The two leaders, following bilateral engagements, also agreed, based on the current circumstances, to demonstrate the urgent need to put back on the global agenda, “the demand for the reform of the United Nations, especially the composition and structure of Security Council on the basis of the African Common Position on UN reforms as enunciated in the Ezulwini consensus,” as well as the “reform of the International Monetary System, to facilitate equity and fairness in the operation of the system to enable African countries, get easier access to capital to finance the African market.”

Emphasising the need to maintain a balance between social, economic, and environmental imperatives so as not to jeopardize Africa’s prospects for development, they called on the developed nations of the world, who are responsible for 76% of carbon emissions as against Africa’s 4%, to honor their commitment to the developing countries in the world to assist in the fight against climate change as agreed at both COP 21 in Paris and COP 26 in Glassgow.

President Akufo-Addo also used the opportunity of the visit to seek support from President Ruto for the candidature of Ghana’s “dynamic Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the Honourable Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, for the position of Secretary General of the Commonwealth, at the forthcoming election for the position, to be held during the Commonwealth Heads of State and Government meeting in Samoa come October.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

On April 2-4, 2024 the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus, Igor Bely, visited the Republic of Botswana.

During the meeting with the Permanent Secretary (First Deputy Minister) of the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Botswana, Ellen Richard-Madisa,  discussed the ways and mechanisms for developing economic relations between two nations.

The parties agreed to take prompt steps to create an institutional basis for strengthening trade and investment cooperation between Belarus and Botswana in the field of agriculture, industrial cooperation, and high technology. Special attention was paid to the increase of trade turnover and participation of Belarusian companies in economic programmes in Botswana. 

The Ambassador of Belarus also met with the CEO of Business Botswana, Norman Moleele. The interlocutors discussed specific steps to expand contacts between business circles of two countries and to establish interaction between Business Botswana and the National Center for Marketing and Price Study. 

I.Bely with another heads of diplomatic missions took part in a Conference, organised by the President of the Republic of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, dedicated to the future development of this African country and the entire region. The importance to develop the agricultural sector of Botswana and create efficient production facilities in this country with foreign capital was highlighted.

At the meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Botswana held on the sidelines of the conference, the Ambassador of Belarus discussed specific steps to intensify bilateral political dialogue and economic ties, as well as legal framework of relations. 

The Ambassador discussed with the leadership of the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security of Botswana the possibilities for Belarusian participation in the development of the Agricultural complex of Botswana. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus.

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) has partnered with Sterling Bank to introduce the innovative supply chain finance product ‘Payables Finance’, in Nigeria. This product, branded as ‘Afreximbank Tradelink,’ is one of Afreximbank’s digital offerings under the umbrella of the Africa Trade Gateway (ATG). ATG provides African corporates and commercial banks with relevant digital tools to access market information, connect with buyers and sellers across the continent for efficient marketing and procurement, facilitate Know Your Customer (KYC) processes, and promote trade payments between African countries in local currencies.

Payables Finance enables suppliers to access financing from the banking system by obtaining early payment for invoices which have been approved for payment by their corporate buyers. The buyers continue to receive trade credit from the suppliers, and the suppliers finance their working capital through the early payment received, enabling them to grow their business. The financing cost is linked to the credit rating of the corporate buyers, thereby making this product particularly valuable for SME suppliers who may face challenges in accessing bank finance at competitive pricing.

Payables Finance is the fastest growing trade finance product globally and there is an enormous opportunity for African businesses to benefit from it. The partnership with Sterling Bank is a unique and innovative arrangement which leverages the complementary strengths of both institutions to provide a comprehensive market-led solution to Nigerian corporates and their suppliers. Under this arrangement, Afreximbank will provide financing to corporates and banks in both US Dollars and Euros while Sterling Bank will manage financing in Naira. Suppliers of Nigerian corporates can thus benefit from financing in both local and foreign currency as per their requirements.

Haytham ElMaayergi, Executive Vice President of Afreximbank Global Trade Bank, welcomed the launch as another milestone in realising the Bank’s vision of transforming Africa’s trade. He said: “Afreximbank identified supply chain finance as a solution for improving access to trade finance in Africa and embarked on a journey to increase penetration through financial intervention and capacity building. The Bank’s Factoring Working Group has done extremely well to provide lines of credit to support factoring and has actively promoted factoring across the continent in collaboration with other institutions.” He added that the introduction of Payables Finance is the next step on the Bank’s roadmap for supply chain finance across Africa.

“African businesses now have the opportunity to harness the potential of this product, which has been widely adopted globally, at an accelerated pace by learning from the experiences of other regions and using the latest technologies which have been developed,” he explained.

Commenting on this partnership, Gwen Mwaba, Director&Global Head Trade Finance, Afreximbank said: “The launch in Nigeria is a first step in Afreximbank’s plans to introduce Payables Finance across Africa in partnership with leading African financial institutions. The product, which will deploy world class technology and a collaborative delivery model and will contribute towards achievement of the Bank’s strategic objective of reducing the trade finance gap in Africa, particularly for the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) segment.”

Chukwuka Onuaguluchi, Ecosystem Banking Head at Sterling Bank, said: “Sterling Bank is committed to meeting the trade finance needs of Nigerian corporates and their suppliers and we are proud to introduce this much-needed product in partnership with Afreximbank for the benefit of Nigerian businesses.”

Afreximbank provides both US Dollar and Euro financing to businesses in its member countries across Africa and in Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member countries. The launch in Nigeria will be followed by similar partnerships in other African countries to expand local currency financing capability across the continent in a phased manner. Adoption of the product will be supported by capacity building events to increase awareness of supply chain finance and its benefits. The product rollout in Nigeria is complemented by a workshop targeting corporate institutions and banks, in collaboration with Woodhall Capital, a leading finance company in Nigeria.

Underpinning the delivery of these new financial products is a market-leading supply chain finance platform, developed by UK-based fintech Demica, a leader in working capital solutions. Demica works with the world’s leading banks to power their supply chain finance solutions. In 2021, the company established a partnership with Afreximbank to extend this technology to banks across Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

Media Contact:
Vincent Musumba
Manager, Communications and Events (Media Relations)
Email: press@afreximbank.com
Tel: +20 2 24564100 /1/2/3
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About Afreximbank:
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra-and extra-African trade. For 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank is setting up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries to effectively participate in the AfCFTA. At the end of September 2023, Afreximbank’s total assets and guarantees stood at over US$33.4 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$5.8 billion. The Bank disbursed more than US$104 billion between 2016 and 2023. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa1), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure, (together, “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

For more information, visit: www.Afreximbank.com

About Sterling Bank:
 Sterling Bank is a leading financial institution that delivers innovative financial solutions to millions of customers across Nigeria with a branch network spanning all states and regions within the country.

Sterling Bank operates a robust portfolio of innovative digital products and services focused on empowering businesses and individuals in its commitment to consistently accelerate growth in the Nigerian economy.

The bank, renowned for its HEART strategy which focuses significant investments in the Health, Education, Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Transportation sectors of the Nigerian economy, has consistently played a pivotal role in the development of the Nigerian economy.