Japan eyes skill development collaborations with Pakistan

Islamabad: Pakistan has a huge workforce concentrated in the IT sector and Japan is planning more collaboration with Pakistan regarding the training of skilled human resources and employment of Pakistani skilled workers in different sectors, said Deputy Director-General at Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Iwamoto Keiichi.

He was speaking during the Japan-Southwest Asia Exchange Year 2022 Webinar held to mark the establishment of Japan’s diplomatic ties with Pakistan and other South Asian countries and discuss mutual relations in the future. Panellists from seven South Asian countries participated in the event.

Iwamoto Keiichi said since the formal establishment of relations with Pakistan, Japan had been providing aid to Pakistan, the largest recipient of Japan’s financial assistance.

He said after the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan, Tokyo helped Islamabad with its expertise in tackling natural disasters, while the Japanese people were very thankful for Pakistanis’ over-generous help and cooperation after Japan was hit by a major earthquake in 2011.

“We [Japan] value cooperation with Pakistan and wish to further enhance it,” he said.

About Japan’s future project investments in Pakistan, the official said the share of Japanese automobiles in the country was very high and in September of last year, Japanese company Toyota Motors announced a huge investment to produce hybrid cars in Pakistan with an initial investment of $100 million. He said Japan was eyeing the large consumer market of Pakistan.

‘’More Japanese companies are interested in investing in Pakistan. However, Pakistan needs stable economic policies and a taxation system in order to provide ease of business to Japanese companies,’’ he said.

Iwamoto Keiichi also said that Japan was happy to see steady development in bilateral relations with Nepal and it was helping Nepal enhance good governance and a sustainable democratic system.

“We have three periods for Japan’s economic assistance for Nepal. First economic development and poverty reduction second is Disaster prevention and climate change and third is good governance and sustainable democratic system,” he said.