I would like to extend my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the leadership and the people of Pakistan for their messages of felicitations and celebrations on the auspicious occasion of the eighty-third birthday of His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan. His Majesty Emperor Akihito was born on 23rd December, 1933 as the first son of the late Emperor Hirohito (Showa).
Since his accession to the throne as the 125th Emperor in January 1989, His Majesty Emperor Akihito has been working tirelessly as the symbol of peace and stability for Japan, and for further strengthening friendship with foreign countries.
It should be noted that in 1962, Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress visited Pakistan as then Their Imperial Highnesses the Crown Prince and Princess. Before departing from Japan I had the honour to have an audience with their Majesties and was told of the kind regard they have towards the people of Pakistan, since their memorable visit to Pakistan in 1962.
Pakistan is a country of rich culture, well preserved traditions and full of hospitality. The beauty of the northern areas is definitely beyond description and the cultural heritage of Gandhara region is fascinating. Japan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan established diplomatic relations in 1952 and ever since then both countries have maintained a close and cordial relationship. I am happy to note that the bilateral relations between our two countries have strengthened over the years, and have become increasingly multifaceted.
At the same time, I believe that both of us can do more to further strengthen and deepen the already good relationship for the benefit of both countries. In September this year, the Summit Meeting was held between Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe and Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in New York, where both of them were of the view that we should enhance cooperation in areas of interests to both sides. The same can be said about the meeting at the level of Foreign Ministers held in New York.
Recently, Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security, Lieutenant General Nasser Khan Janjua, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Mr Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and Minister of Planning, Development and Reform, Mr Ahsan Iqbal, visited Japan and discussed with their Japanese counterparts the ways to enhance cooperation between us. In August, we had the 5th Japan-Pakistan Security Dialogue and Military-to-Military Talks and exchanged views on security policies, counter terrorism efforts, etc. I believe that even more frequent high-level political exchanges will serve to further strengthen our relationship.
In terms of economy, Government of Pakistan achieved an important milestone in 2016. The current administration completed the IMF program for the first time under the strong leadership of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Pakistan succeeded in restoring macroeconomic stability. I would like to congratulate the achievement and believe that there will be further business opportunities for both countries which will promote economic growth of Pakistan.
I have met many passionate and competent businessmen from both countries since I arrived in Pakistan in April and have heard their aspirations to strengthen economic ties between our two countries. The potential for trade between us is fairly large but the actual figures have not been commensurate with the size of our economies. I, as the Ambassador of Japan, would like to dedicate all my strength and efforts to promoting our economic relationship.
Japan has been supporting Pakistan's economic and social development for many years, focusing on quality growth, human development, health systems, education, disaster management, security and climate change, marking the 60th Anniversary of Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Pakistan in 2014. Japan has been one of the leading donors to Pakistan for a long time, making the total amount approximately 13 billion USD so far. Construction of the Kohat Tunnel, schools, hospitals, assistance for Polio eradication and provision of children's play goods with Japanese Park in Islamabad are just a few examples of our assistance. Moreover, more than 6,000 Pakistanis have been trained in Japan or other countries under our technical cooperation program.
We will continue to provide our ODA to Pakistan first and foremost for the sake of Pakistani people but at the same time for the deepening of our relationship. In fact, Pakistan is the first country that exported cotton to Japan after the World War II, which played an important role for the post-war development of our industries and I am grateful for the cooperation from the Pakistani side for long- lasting good relationship between Japan and Pakistan.
Cultural and human exchanges are the very foundation for the relationship from a long-term perspective so I actively support events and programs which encourage understanding and harmony between the two communities.
Next year marks the 65th anniversary of Japan-Pakistan diplomatic relations. We wish to renew ourselves to further develop our close ties in this commemorative year. Japanese Embassy and Consular General in Karachi have organised more than 14 cultural events in cities such as Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi in 2016 and we would like to hold even more events next year. I hope many Pakistani people will join our events, hand in hand, to make 2017 a memorable year for the people of both countries.
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