KARACHI: The Ambassador 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: “Let 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.”
“With 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,” said he, adding, that in the first part of their relationship they had concentrated more on establishing democratic relations with core economy. “Just a year after Pakistan came into being, in 1948, we sent our economic mission to Pakistan, commencing trade by 1949.
“Textile was an important industry in Japan, and when after World War II we needed cotton, Pakistan was kind enough to provide it to Japan.”
He recounted that cordial relations between the two nations continued from inception up to the late 1990s. “Around 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,” said he.
“But post-September 11, 2001, the people of Japan realised Pakistan’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,” said he.
The Japanese envoy said, “Japan is glad to see the situation in Pakistan improving since 2010. And Japan supports Pakistan in the economic matters, and also its fight against terrorism as we believe that stability in the region will help in the expansion of trade.”
On the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he held forth that contrary the misunderstanding here Japan was not against CPEC. “We 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,” 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. “A 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,” said he.
