Story by ZBC Reporter

JAPAN has pledged more support towards developmental programmes in Zimbabwe.

This came out when the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Country Representative, Mr Shigeki Furuta met Foreign Affairs and International Minister, Ambassador Frederick Shava in Harare this Wednesday afternoon.

Japan is funding various projects in Zimbabwe, with JICA pledging to build on existing areas of cooperation and avail more support to Zimbabwe.

Speaking to ZBC News after holding a closed door meeting with Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Ambassador Frederick Shava in Harare this Wednesday afternoon, Mr Shigeki Furuta asserted, “JICA administers Japanese official development assistance. It works closely with the Embassy of Japan in Harare in the implementation of projects and programmes funded by the Government of Japan in Zimbabwe.”

“Since 2011, cooperation between Zimbabwe and JICA has been mainly in the area of human resources development. Japan has been extending short-term technical courses and scholarships to Zimbabwean nationals to study in the far eastern country. We are therefore committed to deepen our cooperation by unveiling more developmental support,” he added.

Among the technical cooperation assistance projects and programmes supported by JICA in Zimbabwe are the Nyakomba Irrigation Scheme in Nyanga and development of a geospatial information database in Harare and its environs and the US$21 million grant for road improvement of a 6.5km stretch along the Harare-Chirundu highway.