Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed Sunday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi that their countries will cooperate in resuming a transition to civilian rule in Sudan where its military and a paramilitary group continue battle for power.
Kishida, who began a tour in Africa before hosting a Group of Seven summit in May in Hiroshima, also agreed with el-Sisi to uphold the rule-based international order, in the face of Russia's war in Ukraine.
The Russian invasion is "an outrageous act that shakes the very foundations of the international order," Kishida said in a joint press announcement. "As a country that has suffered atomic bombings in war, (Japan) never accepts the threat of nuclear weapons by Russia, and they should never be used."
The two leaders confirmed cooperation toward resuming the transition process to civilian rule in Sudan that followed an uprising in 2021.
Kishida told el-Sisi that Japan, as the G-7 chair for this year, will seek to contribute to bringing the situation under control and is ready to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to refugees and displaced people.
El-Sisi called for an immediate and permanent cease-fire. The president also noted it is important that outside forces do not interfere in the crisis in Sudan.
They also discussed ways to stabilize food supply. Egypt, which relied on Russia and Ukraine for most of its wheat imports, was hit economically by the war.
Kishida expressed Japan's intention to extend yen loans to Egypt in order to provide support for efficiently using agricultural water and improving farm productivity.
The weeklong trip will also take Kishida to three other African nations -- Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique -- and Singapore. He visited Africa for the first time since taking office in 2021.
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