Pakistan and Japan have agreed to further enhancing bilateral trade and investment relations and close cooperation on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

An understanding to this effect came during a meeting between Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood and Japanese Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Honda Taro, in Islamabad on Wednesday.

During the meeting, all aspects of bilateral relations were discussed, including political, economic, cultural and regional connectivity with particular emphasis on trade, investment, and people-to-people contacts.

The Foreign Secretary stressed that Pakistan and Japan enjoyed longstanding ties marked by cordiality and a mutual desire to expand cooperation in all fields. He noted that the 70th anniversary of Pakistan-Japan diplomatic relations this year was an important milestone.

Sharing Pakistan’s perspective on the situation in Afghanistan, the Foreign Secretary said that practical cooperation between the Interim authorities and the international community was in the interest of regional peace and stability.

He also stressed that the international community needed to scale up assistance for the Afghan people to help address the twin challenges of a dire humanitarian situation and economic sustainability of Afghanistan.

The Foreign Secretary updated the Japanese side on the negative consequences of India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019, the continuing serious human rights and humanitarian situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), and the importance of the world community playing its role in facilitating a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

The Parliamentary Vice Minister emphasized the importance of closer cooperation between Japan and Pakistan.

Source: Radio Pakistan