A Correspondent:
Tokyo: Japan is keen to further strengthen its relations with Bangladesh and increase investment in the country, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ryosei Akazawa said yesterday.
He expressed the interest during a courtesy meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Tokyo Wednesday afternoon, said Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Shadhin.
Akazawa said Bangladesh had become an attractive destination for investment, expressing Japan’s interest in further developing bilateral relations and expanding investment in the country.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman thanked the Japanese government for its continued support and cooperation in building a developed and prosperous Bangladesh.
Both sides agreed to advance cooperation in the areas discussed during the bilateral summit between the Prime Ministers of Bangladesh and Japan and to further strengthen bilateral relations.
They also stressed the importance of capitalizing on the existing interest among Japanese businesspeople in Bangladesh to attract more Japanese investment into the country.
Recalling the historical ties between the two countries, Tarique Rahman said his father, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, and his mother, former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, had each visited Japan twice, laying the foundation for the continued development and progress of Bangladesh-Japan relations.
The Prime Minister said he wanted to carry forward that legacy and invited Akazawa to visit Bangladesh.
Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit, Invest Bangladesh Authority Chairman Ashik Chowdhury, Bangladesh Bank Governor Md Mostaqur Rahman, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant for Overseas Employment in the Asia-Pacific Region Dr Md Shakirul Islam Khan and Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon, among others, were present at the meeting from the Bangladesh side.
