ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari will pay a visit to Japan from February 21-23 at the invitation of Prime Minister of Japan Naoto Kan, to further strengthen the cordial relations between the two countries and open new avenues of cooperation.
This will be the President's second visit to Japan since assuming office. During his stay in Japan, the President will make a state call on the Emperor of Japan. He will hold summit level talks with Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
The President is also scheduled to meet with Japanese Cabinet members, parliamentarians and leading Japanese businessmen.
The visit will provide an opportunity to brief the Japanese leadership on Pakistan views on key international and regional issues as well as discuss ways and means to further expand bilateral political and economic ties.
The visit will also reiterate the importance that Pakistan attaches to its relations with Japan. President's meeting with the Japanese businessmen will help project Pakistan as a destination for Japanese investment.
Japan is an important country of the East Asia Pacific region as well as one of the major trading partners of Pakistan. Pakistan and Japan enjoy very close and friendly relations.
Japan has played an important role in the socio-economic development of Pakistan. Japan is a major development partner, and is extending assistance for development projects in health, education and human resource development areas.
Japan has actively participated in the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Forum (FODP) and hosted the FODP Ministerial and Donors Conference in Tokyo in April 2009. It pledged US$ one billion at the Donors Conference in Tokyo.
Japan has also extended assistance for the internally dislocated persons affected in Swat and Malakand. It extended US $ 500 million assistance at the Pakistan Development Forum for the relief and rehabilitation of flood victims in Pakistan.
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