The presence of the so-called «SADR» at the Preparatory Ministerial Meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) «was a big problem» that Japan has overcome «to avoid embarrassment,» Spokesperson of the Japanese Foreign Ministry Mitsuko Shino said Monday in Rabat, reiterating that her country does not recognize this puppet entity. «We have good intentions to settle this issue,» she said at a press briefing, adding that the official visit to Morocco of Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono is a «good move» in this regard. During a press briefing held following his talks with Morocco's foreign affairs minister, Nasser Bourita, Kono made it clear that Japan does not recognize the so-called SADR as a State. He reiterated a position clearly expressed at the ministerial preparatory meeting for the 7th TICAD, held on October 5-7 in the Japanese capital. The presence of the so-called «SADR» at a ministerial preparatory meeting for TICAD VII, «in no way means that Japan recognizes, implicitly or explicitly», this group as a State, stressed Taro Kono. On the occasion of this preparatory ministerial meeting, members of the «Polisario» entered Japan using Algerian passports and got accreditation using badges of the African Union Commission.
