ISLAMABAD: At the invitation of the Japanese Government, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will leave for Japan on a four-day visit starting from Saturday (tomorrow).
According to the Foreign Office statement, the foreign minister will hold delegation level talks with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi.
It said the visit signals the revival of leadership level contacts with Japan after a considerable hiatus. During the visit, the foreign minister will also be calling on the Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida.
He will also be holding a meeting with the National Security Advisor of Japan Takeo Akiba. He will also be delivering a talk at the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), which is a renowned think tank of Japan.
The statement said Pakistan and Japan enjoy a long-standing time-tested relationship characterized by warmth, cordiality and commonality of views on issues.
The foreign minister is also expected to interact with senior officials and executives representing prominent business houses and entities related to import of Pakistani manpower to Japan.
Ahead of the visit, Pakistan and Japan held 13th round bilateral political consultations in Tokyo and discussed a number of important issues regarding Pakistan-Japan ties.
Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Dr Asad Majeed Khan and his Japanese counterpart Shigeo Yamada held the talks which resumed after the previous round held in Islamabad in 2020.
The two sides agreed to spare no effort to preserve, promote and diversify the longstanding robust relationship. Important regional and international issues were also discussed in depth.
The foreign secretary also called on Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Takei Shunsuke and National Security Advisor Takeo Akiba. He also interacted with President of Japan–Pakistan Association Shun Imaizumi.
The Japanese side in their separate interactions with the foreign secretary expressed goodwill and warm wishes towards the people and government of Pakistan.
It was underlined that the Japanese government was looking forward to the upcoming visit of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in the first week of July.
