PHOTO: REUTERS
KARACHI: Japan has strong brotherly and trade relations with Pakistan and it is willing to play its part in the development of Pakistan, said Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan Kuninori Matsuda.
The ambassador was addressing the annual meeting of Pakistan-Japan Business Forum earlier this week.
Citing his visit to Pakistan’s largest city, the envoy pointed out that Karachi had ample business opportunities that needed to be tapped. He called the city an important economic and trade hub. In the 1960s, he said, Karachi was a cultural and entertainment hub and young persons and investors from all over the world including Japan used to visit the city.
He stressed that besides the automobile sector, Japan could collaborate with Pakistan in areas of food, fishing, agriculture, pharmaceutical, energy, education, logistics, tourism and others.
“Japan is already cooperating with Pakistan in food, agriculture and fisheries’ sectors,” he said. He informed the audience that Japan had included Pakistan in the list of top-10 friendly countries and soon youth from Pakistan would be able to get employment in Japan.
“Skilled workforce is necessary for development, hence, Japan is facilitating Pakistan in training and educating the manpower in areas of civil engineering, science and technology,” he said.
Terming Japan a foundation for the automobile industry in Pakistan, the ambassador revealed that his country was increasing investment in Pakistan’s automotive sector.
Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan-Japan Business Forum President Sohail Ahmed stressed the need for increasing trade with Tokyo as it was limited to $2 billion over the past 10 years.
He pointed out that the forum arranged contacts and business agreements at professional levels between Pakistani industrialists and their Japanese counterparts every year. “Currently, 86 Japanese companies are operating in Pakistan,” he said. “In 2019, two more Japanese enterprises have begun operations here.”
According to Ahmed, immense trade and investment opportunities existed in both the countries. He endorsed the ambassador’s remarks that skilled manpower was necessary for a strong economy. He added that Japan was in need of manpower and Pakistan’s youth could get employment there.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 11th, 2019.
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