Bilawal for further boosting Pak-Japan trade

TOKYO: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zaradri on Monday asked Pakistan and Japan to explore more avenues and further boost bilateral trade.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi in Tokyo, Bilawal said they discussed “the possibility of working together on targeted programmes with higher impact in the domains of solarisation, desalination and water purification, and infrastructure rebuilding in the flood-affected areas in Pakistan.”

In their meeting earlier, the two leaders also considered sending more young Pakistani skilled workers to Japan.

“We also deliberated on investments and joint ventures by Japanese enterprises in Pakistan”, Bilawal said.

Earlier on Sunday, the foreign minister also met with Japanese business executives and the Pakistani diaspora in Tokyo. He discussed potential mutual interests with representatives of Japan International Cooperation Agency and Japan External Trade Organization.

In a tweet, he said that it was “reassuring to see Pakistan’s vibrant diaspora in Japan making its contribution to stronger ties between the two countries”.

He noted a spirit of “eagerness for unlocking the potential of Pakistan and Japan in diverse fields including trade, agriculture, technology, education, skilled workforce, clean energy and disaster management”.

According to the Foreign Office (FO), the foreign minister will also be calling on Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

This visit, on invitation of the government of Japan, is seen as a “revival of leadership level contacts with Japan after a considerable hiatus,” the FO said. Bilawal is on a four-day visit to Japan starting from July 1.