Japan keen to expand partnership

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s upcoming Dhaka visit is an indication of Tokyo’s “very keen” interest in expanding and deepening “comprehensive partnership” in all spheres, the foreign ministry has said.

Abe will arrive in Dhaka on his first official visit to Bangladesh on Sept 6 at the invitation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

bdnews24.com had earlier reported on his visit plan, citing senior ministry officials.

He would be the first Japanese prime minister to visit Dhaka in 14 years.

Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori was the last Japanese prime minister to come to Bangladesh in August 2000, when Sheikh Hasina was in power during an earlier term.

In his 24-hour stay, Abe will hold official talks with his counterpart Sheikh Hasina and will call on President Md Abdul Hamid.

He will also address the Bangladesh-Japan Economic Forum, formed after Hasina’s Japan visit in May.

The foreign ministry said the Bangladesh Board of Investment (BOI), Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) would jointly organise the session to promote bilateral trade and attract Japanese investment in Bangladesh.

Both sides had embarked on “a new era of relationship” during Hasina’s visit when Abe confirmed he would come to Dhaka shortly.

Japan established its diplomatic ties in February 1972, soon after Bangladesh’s independence, and quickly became the country’s largest bilateral development partner.

Its assistance comes regularly as grant, aid, technical assistance, and soft loans. The total grants and aid reached $11 billion last year.

During Hasina’s visit, both leaders launched the “Japan-Bangladesh comprehensive partnership” and later, in a joint statement, affirmed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral cooperation “by elevating the friendly relationship to a new partnership”.

Abe pledged to provide nearly $6 billion in assistance for the next four to five years, starting this year.

They also agreed that they would strengthen policy dialogue so as to deepen cooperation in an evolving global security environment.

The foreign ministry said it was evident from the outcome of Hasina’s visit that “Japan is very keen in expanding and deepening ‘Comprehensive Partnership’ in almost all areas of our bilateral, economic, social and cultural relations”.

Bangladesh and Japan have begun an economic dialogue, creating a new window of “interactions and actions” involving both the government and private sectors.

The first meeting was held in Dhaka on Aug 21.

Japan also announced that it would support the creation of an industrial area in Bangladesh with scores of infrastructure projects.

It will focus on the region linking the capital Dhaka with Matarbari near the major port city of Chittagong, featuring a series of infrastructure projects and a special economic zone for Japanese companies.

Officials say the two leaders would discuss those plans during their meeting.