1. Mr. Masakazu Hamachi, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, will visit the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the Islamic Republic of The Gambia from June 13 to 19.

2. In Viet Nam, Parliamentary Vice-Minister Hamachi will attend the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Southeast Asia Regional Forum 2016 to be held in Hanoi on June 14, and also to hold meetings with officials of the governments of Southeast Asian countries. At this Forum under the theme of boosting productivity and inclusiveness in Southeast Asia, issues such as OECD’s work that contributes to the development of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region will be discussed. Parliamentary Vice-Minister Hamachi’s attendance at this Forum is expected to further strengthen Japan’s relationships with Southeast Asian countries as well as with the OECD.

3. In The Gambia, Parliamentary Vice-Minister Hamachi is scheduled to attend the Preparatory Ministerial Meeting of the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) being held in Banjul from June 16 to 17, and also to hold meetings and talks with the participants from African countries, etc. Parliamentary Vice-Minister Hamachi will co-chair the Preparatory Ministerial Meeting, which will discuss priority issues such as economic diversification and industrialization, health, and social stability, and the outcome document, leading up to the TICAD VI being held in Nairobi, the Republic of Kenya, on August 27 and 28 this year. Parliamentary Vice-Minister Hamachi’s attendance at this Meeting is expected to build a foundation at the ministerial level for the success of the TICAD VI.