Asia-Pacific

Pakistani president to visit Japan

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-02-17 08:43

ISLAMABAD - Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will pay a three-day visit to Japan from February 21 at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, it was officially announced on Wednesday.

During his stay in Japan, the President will hold summit level talks with Prime Minister Naoto Kan and will also make a state call on the Emperor of Japan, the Foreign Ministry said.

The President is also scheduled to meet with Japanese Cabinet members, Parliamentarians and leading Japanese businessmen, a Ministry's statement said.

"The visit will provide an opportunity to brief the Japanese leadership on our views on key international and regional issues as well as discuss ways and means to further expand bilateral political and economic ties," it said.

The President's meeting with the Japanese businessmen will help project Pakistan as a destination for Japanese investment, and further strengthen the cordial relations between the two countries and open new avenues of cooperation, it said.

The Foreign Ministry said that 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."

It said that Japan has actively participated in the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Forum, and hosted the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FODP) Ministerial and Donors Conference in Tokyo in April 2009.

It pledged $1 billion at the Donors Conference in Tokyo. It has also extended assistance for the internally dislocated persons affected in Swat and Malakand in the country's northwest.

Japan extended 500 million dollars assistance at the Pakistan Development Forum last year for the relief and rehabilitation of flood victims in Pakistan.