Director General International Co-operation Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan, Koro Bessho, will arrive here on Tuesday on a two-day official visit, a Japanese embassy statement said here on Monday. Koro Bessho is the top official of the Government of Japan, in-charge of Official Development Assistance (ODA).
During his visit, the Japanese official, along with Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, Seiji Kojima, will pay courtesy calls on Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Salman Shah, Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and senior government officials, the statement said.
During the meetings, the two sides will discuss the remarkable economic growth in Pakistan, the perspectives of Japan's economic assistance to Pakistan, especially the possibility of drastic enhancement of Japanese assistance this year and some specific issues like the Fata Development, support to the elections, earthquake reconstruction, Japanese ODA (yen) loans, grant assistance and the future commitment.
Bessho will also visit Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), which symbolises a real landmark of the Japan-Pakistan partnership for development in the health and medical fields since 1985.
Japan, being one of the largest donors to Pakistan, initiated its economic assistance to Pakistan with the provision of technical assistance in 1954, loan aid in 1961 and grant aid in 1970, which has continuously played an important role in the country's development.
The accumulated total of Japan's economic assistance to Pakistan was $6.8 billion until the year 2005, which was on disbursement basis. Japan has always been a strong partner of Pakistan. Its 'proof of friendship" can be seen in its commitment towards the rehabilitation of the areas affected by the October 2005 earthquake.-PR