Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (2nd L, front), Madagascan President Marc Ravalomanana (L, front) and Gabonese President El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba (3rd L, front) visit the booth of Ghana Shea Butter soap at the African Fair 2008 Opening Ceremony, during the first day of the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) in Yokohama, Japan, May 28, 2008. (Xinhua Photo/Ren Zhenglai) Photo Gallery>>>

    YOKOHAMA, Japan, May 28 (Xinhua) -- African leaders, who are here for the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV), Wednesday called for closer Africa-Asia cooperation and productive usage of international aid.

    Addressing a plenary themed "Boosting of Economic Growth", Uganda President Kaguta Museveni said his country was truly optimistic that the economic and strategic cooperation between Africa and Asia can be further strengthened to improve living conditions for both continents.

    Welcoming international financial and technical assistance to Africa, Museveni expected additional resource flows for infrastructure, which he believes is a key point to accelerate economic growth in the continent.

    The president also called for the removal of subsidies and other free trade barriers set by Europe, the United States, Japan, and even African countries to boost the export of African products.

    Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki said in his speech that Asia has shared her best practice with Africa especially in health, technology and education, thus adding to the momentum of economic growth and development currently being witnessed in Africa.

    He, meanwhile, called for more investment in value addition to African products as one way of addressing the current trade imbalance that exists between Africa and the rich nations.

    Echoing his counterparts from Uganda and Kenya, Rwandan President Paul Kagame also suggested more inflow of technical and financial aid from development partners in infrastructure, energy and human capital.

    Vice President of Botswana Lt. Gen. Mompati Sebogodi hailed the TICAD conference, believing it will make a meaningful contribution to "our efforts in promoting economic growth and sustainable development in Africa."

    There is international consensus that in order to reduce poverty levels in Africa, developed countries, including Japan, should not only increase financial aid to Africa, he said.

    "They should also work with the continent to ensure that the assistance provided is relevant to the needs of the recipient countries and also targeted where it would be used most productively," said the vice president.

    Delegates from African countries and international and regional organizations, including 40 heads of state, gathered here Wednesday to discuss concrete initiatives on African development by the international community.

    TICAD IV is scheduled to conclude with the adoption of the "Yokohama Declaration", outlining guiding principles and approaches to African development among TICAD stakeholders, as well as the "Yokohama Action Plan and the Yokohama Follow-up Mechanism", laying out a roadmap for action-oriented initiatives with measurable targets.

Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (C) and guests including Gabonese President Omar Bongo Ondimba(5th L), Madagascar's President Marc Ravalomanana(4th R), take a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of African Fair 2008 in Yokohama, near Tokyo oJn May 28, 2008. This five-day fair opened here connected the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). (Xinhua Photo/ Kazuhiro NOGI/Pool) Photo Gallery>>>