City Desk :
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh, IWAMA Kiminori, on Wednesday reaffirmed Japan’s readiness to support Bangladesh’s interim government’s needs during its ongoing transitional period .
“We are ready to engage with all stakeholders of the new government and the people of Bangladesh to assess what is required under the current structure. Our stance is to respond to the needs and requests of the new government and offer cooperation accordingly,” he said.
The Japanese envoy said this while lecturing at a seminar on “Bangladesh-Japan Relation” organized by the Association of Former Ambassadors (AOFA) at the Foreign Service academy in the capital.
Kiminori underscored the need for Japan’s commitment to assist Bangladesh in its reform initiatives, emphasizing cooperation to strengthen bilateral ties in key sectors, including business, defense, and people-to-people exchanges.
He also emphasized that Japan would align its efforts with the interests of its own society and the Japanese businesses operating in Bangladesh.
Presided over by AOFA President Ambassador Abdullah Al Hasan, the seminar was also addressed by Ambassador Gausul Azam and Ambassador Shahed Akhter.
Ambassador Farooq Sobhan, former Foreign Secretary also ambassador Masud Bin Momen and Professor Nailur Nahar from the Department of International Relations were among others present at the event.
Ambassador Kiminori highlighted that over 300 Japanese companies are currently operating in Bangladesh, none of which have decided to withdraw, despite security concerns during the transition period.
“For Bangladesh to continue its path toward becoming a prosperous society, more foreign investment is needed, including from Japan. To achieve this, the interim government needs to improve the business environment,” he stated.
The envoy emphasized the need for Bangladesh to continue improving its business environment, noting that bureaucratic complicacy remains significant barrier to attract investment.
Kiminori reiterated Japan’s support for Bangladesh’s economic growth, noting that Tokyo remains committed to fostering trade relations and investment through the ongoing Public-Private Joint Economic Dialogue (PPED).
He also mentioned about ongoing negotiation with the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), aimed at enhancing bilateral trade and investment.
Japan has been a longstanding development partner of Bangladesh, and the two nations elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership.