Promising support, Japanese ambassador urges Pakistan to diversify its exports

KARACHI: The AmbasĀ­sador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Pakistan Takashi Kurai has said that Japan and Pakistan have enjoyed mutually beneficial relations for over 65 years and they will continue to support Pakistan in the future as well.

Addressing a gathering of the English Speaking Union at a local hotel here Wednesday, said he: ā€œLet me start with my last meeting with [likely prime minister] Mr Imran Khan on Friday where I made clear to him that regardless of whatever government comes in power in Pakistan, Japan will continue to support economic development here. Your principles based on transparency, law and justice, social equity, education and provision of clean drinking water for the people is something that Japan also stands for.ā€

ā€œWith Pakistan, we have enjoyed a good relationship since the early 1950s, and there is potential for further strengthening and betterment particularly in the political context,ā€ said he, adding, that in the first part of their relationship they had concentrated more on establishing democratic relations with coreĀ economy. ā€œJust a year after Pakistan came into being, in 1948, we sent our economic mission to Pakistan, commencingĀ trade by 1949.

ā€œTextile was an important industry in Japan, and when after World War II we needed cotton, Pakistan was kind enough to provide it to Japan.ā€

He recounted that cordial relations between the two nations continued from inception up to the late 1990s. ā€œAround March 1998, we were about to sign a treaty for the protection of industry when it was put on the backburner owing to Pakistan’s nuclear tests,ā€ said he.

ā€œBut post-September 11, 2001, the people of Japan realised Pakistanā€™s issues and the strain [caused by] fighting the war on terror. Then we reconsidered our assistance to Pakistan, and it was resumed by 2005… It was said by some [people] here that our economic assistance was somewhat reduced [on resumption]. It may have been so earlier, but it grew by 2007,ā€ said he.

The Japanese envoy said, ā€œJapan is glad to see the situation in Pakistan improving since 2010. And Japan supports Pakistan inĀ the economic matters, and also its fight against terrorism as we believe that stability in the region will help in theĀ expansion of trade.ā€

On the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he held forth that contrary the misunderstanding here Japan was not against CPEC. ā€œWe maintain that we hope CPEC will be implemented for the sake of Pakistan. In order for CPEC to benefit Pakistan there should be transparency, economic viability, international standards, which are the fundamental principles for any project to be based on,ā€ said he.

Pakistan, he said, was looking to expand its exports, but the imbalance in bilateral trade with Japan would remain as Pakistan had fewer things to export to the East Asian nation. ā€œA free trade agreement with Japan would do no favour to Pakistan until you change your trading structure. Pakistan needs to diversify [its exports] not only to Japan but to the entire world… Also, different economic rules apply to developed and developing countries. Pakistan is a developing country, so is China. But Japan is a developed country,ā€ said he.

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