ISLAMABAD: Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, who arrived in Islamabad on Thursday, has said that Japan is ready to cooperate closely with Pakistan for stability and development of the region.

In an interview via electronic mail, the Japanese minister said that Pakistan, with its geopolitical importance, had played a prominent role for stability in the region and that it was important vis-a-vis stability and prosperity of the international community.

Following are excerpts from Taro Kono’s interview:

QUESTION: This is a Japanese foreign minister’s first visit to Pakistan since Katsuya Okada visited it in 2009. What is the significance of your visit and how do you find Pakistan’s importance and role in terms of peace and security in this region?

ANSWER: It gives me great pleasure to come to Pakistan, which I selected as the first country to visit in 2018. Last year, Japan and Pakistan celebrated the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations. This multi-layered friendship, ranging from economic relations to people-to-people exchanges and more, has great potential for further development. Both countries have stood by each other whenever either has faced hardships.

Pakistan is vitally important to the stability and prosperity of the international community. Japan is ready to cooperate closely with Pakistan for stability and development of the region. I decided to visit Pakistan and consolidate our already excellent bilateral relations.

Q: Since our government and military leaderships have been making serious efforts to eliminate terrorism, the security situation in Pakistan has improved considerably. What impact do you think that will have on Japanese investments in Pakistan?

A: Japan acknowledges Pakistan’s serious efforts in the fight against terrorism. I express my sincere condolences to the victims of terrorism in Pakistan.

In this respect, Japan has been providing Pakistan with assistance such as provision of airport security equipment, projects in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas for border security, and so forth. Japan will continue to work with Pakistan with an emphasis on cooperation in the field of counterterrorism.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2018