Press Releases

From September 12 to 16, JICA President Tanaka Akihiko visited the United States for the first time since his reappointment as president this April. President Tanaka met with World Bank Group (WBG) President David Malpass, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) President Mauricio Claver-Carone, US Agency of International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power, and US International Development Finance Corporation (USDFC) Chief Operating Officer Agnes Dasewicz. He also met with Professor Jean-Marie Guéhenno of Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and spoke at a roundtable event organized by the Brookings Institution.

President Tanaka and WBG President Malpass discussed responses to the current compound crises caused namely by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, and agreed that cooperation between development organizations is critical in order to overcome these crises and to foster economic growth. They especially discussed responses to the food crisis and the debt crisis, as well as reconstruction assistance for Ukraine, and agreed to strengthen collaboration between their two organizations.

With IMF Managing Director Georgieva, President Tanaka exchanged views on the outlook for the compounding crises and their impact on developing countries, the intensifying debt crisis, and support for combatting climate change. On this last issue, Managing Director Georgieva expressed her expectation to collaborate on disaster risk reduction, in which JICA has extensive experience. They agreed to strengthen ties by collaborating on capacity development activities, thus stabilizing the economies of developing countries.

President Tanaka and IDB President Claver-Carone reflected on the organizations’ collaborative projects in Latin America and the Caribbean and confirmed their commitment to continue contributing to regional development through co-financing as well as private sector assistance.

USAID Administrator Power shared with President Tanaka her insights from her recent visits to Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The two then discussed cooperation in countries and regions including Ukraine, Africa, and the Indo-Pacific, on such issues as climate change, quality infrastructure investment, and assistance for democratization.

In the discussions between President Tanaka and USDFC Chief Operating Officer Dasewicz, the pair acknowledged the success of multiple co-financing projects, and agreed to pursue further collaboration especially in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as to work together in mobilizing private sector resources in regions and sectors of mutual interest.

With Professor Guéhenno, President Tanaka discussed and analyzed the current affairs in Africa and Ukraine. They also exchanged views on the political and economic conditions necessary to achieve peace and security, the importance of effectively demonstrating the significance of peace, and the key elements of democracy needed for its development.

In addition, President Tanaka attended a roundtable discussion hosted by the Brookings Institution. He exchanged views with Brookings experts in the fields of foreign policy and development on the challenges and opportunities involved in achieving the SDGs given today’s compound crises, and how the international community can cooperate to combat these and other mounting issues.