WASHINGTON (Kyodo) Japan and the Inter-American Development Bank signed a memorandum of understanding Monday to hold next year's IDB annual meeting in Okinawa from April 10 to 12.
This will be the second IDB annual meeting to be hosted by Japan, following one in Nagoya in 1991.
Vice Finance Minister for International Affairs Hiroshi Watanabe and IDB President Enrique Iglesias signed the document, the IDB said in a statement.
Okinawa Vice Gov. Hirotaka Makino also attended the signing ceremony at the IDB.
"Since joining the bank in 1976, Japan has established strong partnerships with Latin America and Caribbean countries, becoming an important source of financial and technical assistance," the statement said.
"The prefecture of Okinawa, which comprises 160 islands to the southwest of the main Japanese archipelago, has historical ties to Latin America," it said. "Many of the Japanese immigrants to Latin American countries, such as Peru and Brazil, came from this region."
The IDB supports development in Latin America and the Caribbean.