ISLAMABAD: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Pakistan Mr Wada Mitsuhiro paid a courtesy call on the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Ahad Khan Cheema here on Wednesday.
The Ambassador was accompanied by Mr Naoaki Miyata, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Senior officials from the Ministry of Economic Affairs were also present in the meeting.
The meeting commenced with a warm welcome extended by the Minister to the envoy, recognizing and appreciating the longstanding bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Japan, which spans over seven decades since its inception in 1954.
The Minister underscored the shared values and perspectives between the two nations on various global matters and emphasized the significance of Japan’s economic assistance to Pakistan.
“Pakistan attaches great importance to the economic assistance extended by the Government of Japan”, said the Minister. In response, Ambassador Wada reaffirmed Japan’s unwavering commitment to supporting Pakistan in mutually agreed priority sectors such as health, education, environment, and water.
He further apprised the Minister of the implementation progress of the ongoing development portfolio funded by the Government of Japan including Japan’s special assistance package provided in the wake of the catastrophic 2022 floods and the scholarships program for the capacity building of the civil service officers of the Government of Pakistan.
Expressing gratitude, the Minister assured the Ambassador Wada of Pakistan’s dedication to closely collaborate with the Government of Japan, ensuring the effective implementation and review of ongoing projects while further strengthening bilateral ties.
Both sides agreed to convene the next session of the Japan-Pakistan High-Level Economic Policy Dialogue at the earliest opportunity.