Islamabad: During Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s first visit to Japan since taking office last year, the two countries agreed to expand their mutually beneficial cooperation in numerous fields.
Trade, investment, human resource development and exchange, IT, tourism, and agriculture relations were strengthened.
“We have also jointly agreed to explore the possibility of working together on targeted programmes with higher impact in the domains of solarisation, desalination, and water purification and housing and infrastructure rebuilding in the floods affected areas in Pakistan,” FM said in a press stakeout with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi in Tokyo.
FM Bilawal later met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the capital.
He sent Pakistani pleasantries. The Foreign Office said both leaders wanted to increase interaction and cooperation in various spheres.
The ministers had a friendly encounter earlier. Both ministers valued unfettered bilateral relations and were ready to engage.
To ease skilled worker movement, the two sides agreed to conduct Japanese language skill assessment tests in Pakistan.
FM Bilawal said the two sides also agreed to cooperate on importing young Pakistani skilled labour to Japan and teaching them Japanese.
“We also deliberated on investments and joint ventures by Japanese enterprises in Pakistan,” the foreign minister added.
Meetings with business sector
He said he would also meet with business sector, local media, and think tanks to “further broaden our engagement.”
“I believe that both sides need to stay engaged at all levels to further positive dialogue and continue exploring more avenues of cooperation.”
The foreign minister asked his Japanese counterpart to visit Pakistan at his convenience for further negotiations.
He said Pakistan and Japan were longtime allies with deep historical ties.
Pakistanis love Japan and its people. “We always helped each other,” he remarked.
Last year, FM Bilawal said high-level exchanges had energised the partnership.
On August 4, 2022, at the 29th Ministerial Meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, I had the pleasure of meeting Minister Hayashi. “Today we continued our discussions from that meeting,” he added.
