Japanese envoy vows to strengthen bilateral ties

Ambassador Kuninori Matsuda reaffirms that Tokyo and Islamabad enjoy excellent ties

ISLAMABAD: Japanese Ambassador Kuninori Matsuda has reaffirmed that Tokyo and Islamabad enjoy excellent relations and that during his tenure, he would try his best to further strengthen and promote these relations.

He expressed these views while speaking at a reception he hosted at his residence the other night.

The Japanese envoy highlighted that relations between the two countries date back to the mid-1940s when after the Second World War, Japan imported a huge cache of cotton from Karachi.

This was the first official contact between the territories of both countries. Against this backdrop, he said that Japanese people are very well aware of Pakistan, especially the port city of Karachi.

Japan continues to play a key role in Pakistan’s industrial development— particularly in the textile sector with Japan a major destination for Pakistani companies seeking equipment.

Ambassador Matsuda said he had a special interest in sports and culture and expressed the desire for the national hockey team to visit Japan as soon as possible. Pakistan and Japan have faced off in international competitions, with the latter having the beating of the former in their last meeting at the Asian Games 2018.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2019.