ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with a nine-member delegation led by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) President Dr. Tanaka Akihiko in Islamabad on Wednesday.
Their discussions focused on Pakistan-Japan relations, economic reforms and cooperation in various development sectors.
The prime minister welcomed the delegation and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to its decades-old partnership with Japan and JICA. He expressed hope that the visit would further strengthen bilateral ties.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said the government had overcome major economic challenges through collective efforts and was accelerating reforms to achieve sustainable economic growth. He claimed that government revenues had doubled over the past three years as a result of these reforms.
He highlighted skills development and technical training for youth, employment opportunities, women’s empowerment and development of the minerals sector as key government priorities.
He also welcomed JICA’s technical assistance in the minerals sector and said cooperation in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises could help boost Pakistan’s exports.
Dr. Tanaka Akihiko thanked the prime minister for the warm hospitality and said JICA was ready to expand its cooperation with Pakistan in health, education, urban and rural development, technical and vocational training and industrial development
He said joint projects would be pursued in line with the development priorities of the federal and provincial governments. The JICA president also appreciated Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts aimed at promoting peace in the Middle East.
The meeting was attended by several federal ministers, special assistants to the prime minister and senior government officials.
