By IRNA,
Islamabad: Japan will provide 479 million dollars in soft loan to Pakistan to develop irrigation system, laying of electric transmission lines, establishment of grid stations and improvement of road network, officials said Saturday.
An agreement was signed by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his Japanese counterpart Mr. Masahiko Komura in Islamabad.
Later, briefing the newsmen, Qureshi thanked the Japanese minister for his country’s support to Pakistan.
He said both sides discussed a variety of issues concerning bilateral trade, Japanese assistance and cooperation in countering terrorism.
He said Japan has been assisting in improving education and health system in tribal areas. “It will help to set up new schools and medical facilities”.
Qureshi said “our bilateral relations are moving from strength to strength”. He said Japan as the chair in G-8 Group should extend help to Pakistan’s development needs particularly in Pak-Afghan border area.
He said during the talks with his Japanese counterpart he informed him about Pakistan’s new government multi-pronged strategy to deal with terrorism.