Japan lauds Pakistan efforts on Nukes non-proliferation
By Rizwan Malik - Pakistan Times Staff Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura Thursday appreciated the efforts by the Pakistan government for nuclear non-proliferation and eliminating the nuclear black market.

The Japanese Foreign Minister met his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) and discussed ways and means to further promote the bilateral relations.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Japanese Foreign Office spokesman Hatsuhisa Takashima said that Japan government has appreciated the efforts by Pakistan against non-proliferation and expressed the hope that these efforts would continue.

He said the two sides also discussed the proposed UN reforms and the Japanese Foreign Minister was pleased that the issue was included in the Islamabad Declaration, issued after the meeting.

Of 'Yen Loan' programme

Japan’s “Yen Loan” programme to Pakistan was also discussed, the spokesman said and indicated that resumption of the assistance programme might be announced during the upcoming visit of the Japanese Prime Minister later this month or early next month.

Responding to a question, he said, the ongoing peace dialogue between Pakistan and India would be one of the agenda items during the Prime Minister’s visit.

He said both Pakistan and India were important countries for Japan and it would continue to encourage them in their efforts for peace. “It is important for Pakistan and India to achieve sustainable

Pakistan's uplift plans

The Japanese Foreign Minister appreciated the efforts by the Pakistan government for nuclear non-proliferation and eliminating the nuclear black market.

Japanese Foreign Office Spokesman Hatsuhisa Takashima said that Japan government has appreciated the efforts by Pakistan against non-proliferation and hoped that these efforts would continue.

He said the two sides also discussed the proposed UN reforms and the Japanese Foreign Minister was pleased that the issue was included in the Islamabad Declaration, issued after the meeting.

Peace in South Asia

Responding to a question, he said, the ongoing peace dialogue between Pakistan and India would be one of the agenda items during the Prime Minister’s visit.

He said both Pakistan and India were important countries for Japan and it would continue to encourage them in their efforts for peace.

“It is important for Pakistan and India to achieve sustainable peace that will bring about more economic development ( to the region),” he added.

The spokesman also welcomed the initiation of Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service and praised both the Pakistan and the Indian government for the step.

He also praised the courage of the passengers who decided to travel on the first bus despite Thursday’s attack in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.

The spokesman hoped that the bus service would prove a significant step towards attaining genuine peace in South Asia.

Bilateral Cooperation

Japan, he added was more than willing to cooperate with Pakistan in its economic development.

He also noted a vast potential of cooperation between the private sectors of the two countries. He said a business delegation that recently visited Pakistan strongly recommended the resumption of “Yen Loan” to the country.

To a question he said discussions were also held on the Preferential Treatment [PTA] Agreement and Free Trade Agreement [FTA].●