Japan
ZAMBIA-JAPAN KEY FIGURES
| Foreign Minister Visit | Investment Agreement Signed | President’s Japan Visit | JICA Support Sectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First in 42 years | Tokyo, February 6, 2025 | February 2025, TICAD9 | Infrastructure, Education, Mining, Health |
Japan’s Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu visited Zambia in a trip Zambia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described as the first visit by a Japanese Foreign Minister in 42 years, following an investment promotion and protection agreement signed in Tokyo in February 2025.
Zambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation invited Japanese private sector investment in mineral exploration, transport corridors and value addition, while acknowledging Japan’s continued support through JICA across infrastructure development, education, mining and health, and its assistance with Zambia’s debt restructuring process.
High-Level Diplomatic Engagement
Japan’s Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu’s visit to Zambia marked the first visit by a Japanese Foreign Minister in 42 years, a significant milestone in Zambia-Japan bilateral relations[1]. Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mulambo Haimbe highlighted Zambia’s central location as strategic, offering partners such as Japan access to key regional markets[1]. President Hakainde Hichilema undertook an Official Working Visit to Japan in February 2025, and Vice President Mutale Nalumango participated in the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Yokohama, Japan[1].
Investment and Development Cooperation
Minister Haimbe extended an invitation to the Japanese private sector to invest in areas of mutual interest including mineral exploration, transport corridors and value addition[1]. He conveyed Zambia’s appreciation for Japan’s continued support across infrastructure development, education, mining and health through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, as well as assistance rendered toward Zambia’s debt restructuring process[1]. An investment promotion and protection agreement between Zambia and Japan was signed in Tokyo on February 6, 2025[2].
Investment Opportunities
Japan’s explicit interest in mineral exploration, transport corridors and value addition, backed by an investment protection agreement and decades of JICA development cooperation across infrastructure, education, mining and health, marks out a well-established partner for investors in those specific sectors, detailed further on the dedicated Mining and Transport pages[1][2].
Last Update: September 2026
