Bilawal arrives in Japan on official visit

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari arrives in Japan on Saturday on a four-day official visit following an invitation from the government of Japan. In a statement issued here, the Foreign Office (FO) said that the foreign minister’s visit signals the revival of leadership-level contacts with Japan after a considerable hiatus.

During the visit, Bilawal will hold delegation-level talks with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi. He will also be meeting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Also on the schedule is a meeting with Japanese National Security Adviser Takeo Akiba.

He is also expected to interact with senior officials and executives representing prominent business houses and entities related to the import of Pakistani manpower to Japan, the statement said.

FM Bilawal to embark on four-day visit to Japan tomorrow

Besides, he will be delivering a talk at the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), a think tank of Japan.

“Pakistan and Japan enjoy a long-standing time-tested relationship characterised by warmth, cordiality and commonality of views on issues,” the FO said.

Bilawal’s trip comes four days after Foreign Secretary Dr Asad Majeed Khan held bilateral political consultations with his Japanese counterpart Shigeo Yamada in Tokyo on Tuesday.

A statement issued by the FO after the meeting said all interlocutors of the Japanese foreign secretary had expressed goodwill and warm wishes towards the people and government of Pakistan, underlining that the Japanese side was looking forward to the upcoming visit of Bilawal. The diplomatic relations between Japan and Pakistan were established in April 1952, and in October 2019 when President Arif Alvi attended the enthronement ceremony of Japanese Emperor Naruhito in Tokyo, according to FO.