Brazil and Japan sign a technical cooperation project on "Sustainable Urban Development".

A virtual ceremony, held on February 25th, marked another partnership between Brazil and Japan for the sustainable development of cities. The Director of the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), Ambassador Ruy Pereira, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Brasilia, Hayashi Teiji, have signed another Complementary Agreement to the Brazil-Japan Basic Technical Cooperation Agreement.

The Brazilian diplomat, chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Brazil, Masayuki Eguchi, and the President of the Research and Urban Planning Institute of Curitiba (IPPUC), Luiz Fernando de Souza Jamur, signed the project document entitled "Sustainable Urban Development", which will be implemented in Curitiba.

Ambassador Ruy Pereira said that international cooperation has a significant role to play in supporting the search for solutions to the challenges faced by national and local governments. He also recalled the tragedy that recently occurred in Petrópolis, which is directly linked to the issue. "We hope this new project can bring concrete results and benefits to Brazilian society, especially at a time when the national debate on the planning of urban spaces is faced with the unfortunate disaster that recently occurred in Petrópolis," he said.

In his turn, the Ambassador of Japan to Brazil, Hayashi Teiji, pointed out that Curitiba is a city internationally recognized for its successful track record in implementing different sustainability actions, namely: the integrated BRT transport network, the maintenance of green areas, re-urbanization initiatives, and actions aimed at smart cities, among others. "For this reason, the implementation of this project in Curitiba gains a deeper and more relevant meaning," he said. "I hope that this signing can further strengthen the relations of cooperation and friendship between Japan and Brazil."

JICA's Chief Representative in Brazil, Masayuki Eguchi, made a presentation on the history of successful projects over the past years in the partnership between JICA and IPPUC. Eguchi said he believes that the "Sustainable Urban Development" project, signed between the two institutions, with the participation of other Brazilian partners, will last for two years and will support the city of Curitiba to advance further on the path of smart and sustainable development. "I want to acknowledge the efforts of ABC and the Japanese Embassy to Brazil in making this project possible through this international cooperation agreement," he added.

The President of the Institute for Research and Urban Planning of Curitiba (IPPUC), an internationally renowned entity in the field of research and promotion of urban planning, Luiz Fernando de Souza Jamur, stressed the importance of the new partnership agreement for both the Institute and JICA and corroborated the representative of the Japanese agency regarding the successful history of previous actions. "We understand that this new cycle will bring good results, with the entire IPPUC team engaged to have another excellent work done", he concluded.

A virtual ceremony, held on February 25th, marked another partnership between Brazil and Japan for the sustainable development of cities. The Director of the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), Ambassador Ruy Pereira, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Brasilia, Hayashi Teiji, have signed another Complementary Agreement to the Brazil-Japan Basic Technical Cooperation Agreement.

The Brazilian diplomat, chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Brazil, Masayuki Eguchi, and the President of the Research and Urban Planning Institute of Curitiba (IPPUC), Luiz Fernando de Souza Jamur, signed the project document entitled "Sustainable Urban Development", which will be implemented in Curitiba.

Ambassador Ruy Pereira said that international cooperation has a significant role to play in supporting the search for solutions to the challenges faced by national and local governments. He also recalled the tragedy that recently occurred in Petrópolis, which is directly linked to the issue. "We hope this new project can bring concrete results and benefits to Brazilian society, especially at a time when the national debate on the planning of urban spaces is faced with the unfortunate disaster that recently occurred in Petrópolis," he said.

In his turn, the Ambassador of Japan to Brazil, Hayashi Teiji, pointed out that Curitiba is a city internationally recognized for its successful track record in implementing different sustainability actions, namely: the integrated BRT transport network, the maintenance of green areas, re-urbanization initiatives, and actions aimed at smart cities, among others. "For this reason, the implementation of this project in Curitiba gains a deeper and more relevant meaning," he said. "I hope that this signing can further strengthen the relations of cooperation and friendship between Japan and Brazil."

JICA's Chief Representative in Brazil, Masayuki Eguchi, made a presentation on the history of successful projects over the past years in the partnership between JICA and IPPUC. Eguchi said he believes that the "Sustainable Urban Development" project, signed between the two institutions, with the participation of other Brazilian partners, will last for two years and will support the city of Curitiba to advance further on the path of smart and sustainable development. "I want to acknowledge the efforts of ABC and the Japanese Embassy to Brazil in making this project possible through this international cooperation agreement," he added.

The President of the Institute for Research and Urban Planning of Curitiba (IPPUC), an internationally renowned entity in the field of research and promotion of urban planning, Luiz Fernando de Souza Jamur, stressed the importance of the new partnership agreement for both the Institute and JICA and corroborated the representative of the Japanese agency regarding the successful history of previous actions. "We understand that this new cycle will bring good results, with the entire IPPUC team engaged to have another excellent work done", he concluded.