Abidjan, 7 September 2009... The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Mr. Y. J. Choi, received on Monday 7 September, at the headquarters of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), a Japanese delegation now in Côte d'Ivoire to do a preliminary study with regard to observing the presidential election.

The delegation is led by the Director of the Secretariat of International Cooperation for Peace of the Japanese Government, Mr. Hirano Ryuichi.

« We are now considering sending an observer mission to the presidential election, » Mr. Ryuichi said after meeting the head of UNOCI. "We explained that to the Special Representative, Mr. Choi. »

The delegation was accompanied by Japan's Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire, H.E.Yoshifumi Okamura.