NAIROBI – Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi delivered a landmark policy address in Nairobi on Sunday, marking the 10th anniversary of the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP) initiative by pledging deeper security and economic ties with African nations.
Speaking to a high-level audience of diplomats and Kenyan officials, Motegi emphasized Kenya’s role as a strategic gateway. He noted that the FOIP, first proposed by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Nairobi in 2016, has entered a new phase of “evolution” under current Japanese leadership.
The speech comes amid intensifying competition for influence in the Indian Ocean. Motegi highlighted that Japan intends to support infrastructure projects that prioritize transparency and debt sustainability—a subtle nod to concerns over high-interest loans from other global powers.
“The stability of the Indo-Pacific is inseparable from the prosperity of Africa,” Motegi stated. Japan also signaled a commitment to expand maritime security cooperation with the Kenyan Coast Guard to combat piracy and illegal fishing.
