Country should build soft image: diplomat

Japanese businessmen are interested in joint ventures, SME sector.

SIALKOT: Ambassador of Japan in Pakistan Hiroshi Oe has said that Pakistan should work towards building a soft image of the nation as such efforts could greatly help in encouraging foreign businessmen, including Japanese, to visit here.

He said this while addressing local businessmen and exporters at Sialkot Chamber of Commerce of Industry (SCCI) on Friday. He further added that print as well as electronic media could play a vital role in this connection.

Oe said that even though Pakistan was going through hard times and was facing a number of problems, Pakistanis had the potential to face and deal with challenges.

He further said that Japanese businessmen were interested in joint ventures and investment with Pakistani businessmen and a better perception about Pakistan could greatly help the Japanese businessmen to come here.

Oe said that Pakistan and Japan had quite cordial business and commercial relations and Japan was ready to assist Pakistan in modernising its Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sector.

He said that the role of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), whose head office was in Karachi, could be extended to Sialkot and other cities in the future. He added that suggestions of establishing a Japan-Sialkot Business Forum would also be considered.

He invited local businessmen to come and penetrate the Japanese textile market if they were able to meet the high standards of brand and quality set by the Japanese consumers.

Earlier, SCCI President Naeem Anwer Qureshi said that the trade between the two countries was not encouraging, as in 2010, Pakistan’s exports to Japan were $124 million only while import were about $1.58 billion.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2011.