Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan will work to boost its participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations following his Cabinet's decision to expand the Self-Defense Forces' role in July.
In a speech Friday during a high-level meeting on strengthening international peacekeeping, Abe said Japan would closely look at Africa as "the rapid deployment of PKOs is a particularly urgent challenge," especially in the region.
Abe also voiced support for the African Peacekeeping Rapid Response Partnership announced last month by the United States.