Next TICAD to Discuss Infectious Diseases, Extremism: Japan's Abe

New York, Sept. 26 (Jiji Press)--Meeting with a group of African leaders in New York on Saturday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that the next year's Tokyo International Conference on African Development, to be held in Kenya, will focus on measures to cope with infectious diseases and emerging Islamic militant groups such as Boko Haram. Japan will contribute to African nations' efforts to rebuild health systems to better fight infectious diseases such as Ebola and work out countermeasures against extremism and terrorism, Abe said at a meeting with leaders of African regional economic communities held at the U.N. headquarters. He also vowed full assistance from Japan's public and private sectors for establishing "high-quality" infrastructure in Africa and enhancing technical training for young people there, while expressing willingness to closely cooperate with African countries in U.N. reforms. Japan has been organizing TICAD meetings jointly with U.N. and African organizations since 1993. The next meeting, the sixth of its kind, will be held in Africa for the first time. Earlier in the day, Abe met with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. After Abe explained that Japan's recent security legislation is part of the country's concrete efforts for further contributing to peace and stability in the international community, Kenyatta said he strongly backs the legislation, according to Japanese officials with access to the meeting. The international community should actively stand against unprecedented threats, the president was quoted as saying. END