Tokyo — Japan will push for trade and debt cancellation for Africa as a means of boosting development in the forthcoming African Development Summit to be held in Yokohama Japan in May 2008.

Yokohama will be host to the TICAD, Tokyo International Conference on African Development from May 28-30 next year. The motto of the conference is: "Towards a vibrant Africa: A continent of Hope and opportunity."

Among other issues due to be discussed, is infrastructure development, human security, democracy and peace consolidation.

Japan's director of First Africa Division Bureau Mr. Shigeru Ushio, told the East African Business Week that African leaders are expected to set up plans for sustainable peace in collaboration with other stakeholders during the conference.

Reports released by disaster mitigation organizations say that Africa is subject to environmental changes on large scale. The summit is also scheduled to lay emphasis on environmental issues in Africa.

Yokohama officials are upbeat about the summit as TICAD has engaged every headline in Japan. Talking to journalists hosted by the Foreign Press Centre of Japan recently, Mr. Kaneko Nobuyasu, an official in charge of TICAD preparations says the conference will be a big breakthrough for Africa.

"I hope TICAD will be a good opportunity to introduce local products to the Japanese market," Nobuyasu said.