By NNN-APP,
Beijing : In a meeting held with the Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso on the sidelines of ASEM Summit in Beijing, Saturday, the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani thanked the former for Japan’s doubling of its official development assistance for Pakistan to US$ 479 million in 2007 and the grant assistance through UNHCR for the internally displaced persons in Pakistan, this year.
The Prime Minister described Pakistan’s multi-faceted relations with Japan as an important pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy and called for further strengthening of these ties through enhanced bilateral trade and Japanese investment through joint ventures in Pakistan.
He urged that both countries should start the negotiations for Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as soon as possible as the agreement would help diversify the commercial ties and bridge the yawning trade gap between the two countries.
Prime Minister Taro Aso stated that Japan recognized Pakistan’s critical role and respected its sacrifices in world’s war against terrorism. He added that it was an imperative for the international community to assist Pakistan at this critical juncture.
He condoled with Prime Minister the loss of precious human lives in the Marriott bomb blast incident and stressed that stability in Pakistan was a crucial factor in the world’s campaign against militancy and extremism.
On his request, Prime Minister briefed him in detail about the security situation in Pakistan, its three pronged strategy to combat terrorism, the negative implications of this war on Pakistan’s economy and Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.
The Japanese Prime Minster agreed with his Pakistani counterpart that the phenomenon of extremism and militancy can only be eliminated through alleviation of poverty and redressal of terrorism’s root causes.
He pledged Japan’s continuous assistance for building education, health and communication infrastructure in the Tribal Areas of Pakistan and consideration for enhanced economic assistance for social sector development of Pakistan.
Taro Aso while recalling his Foreign Minster’s participation in the first meeting of “Friends of Pakistan”, also assured the Prime Minster that Japanese would play an active and positive role in this forum’s future deliberations.
He informed the Prime Minister that the Japanese Diet was considering extension in provision of fresh water and fuel to Pakistan’s naval ships in the Indian Ocean involving in Operation Freedom/Maritime Interdiction Operation.
The Japanese Premier stated that the current financial turmoil in the world markets cannot be overcome by the G-7 countries alone and hence the initiative to call the meeting of G-20 in United States next month. He said that the meeting is meant to take a joint position by the developed and developing world on the requisite measures for overcoming the present crisis.
The reforms of international financial institutions would also be an agenda item of that meeting. He suggested that in case Pakistan opted to seek financial assistance from the IMF to tide over its present economic crisis, Japan along with other major countries would lend its support to Pakistan’s case.