Prime Minister Imran Khan virtually addressing 26th International Conference on"The Future of Asia" held in Japan from 20th to 21st May, 2021 organized by Nikkei
Asia.
PM Imran Khan in his virtual address at Nikkei’s 26thInternational Conference on ‘Future of Asia’ said for Asia to gain
recovery from post-pandemic health and economic crises, acollective action of countries was necessary including expanding
vaccine’s supply and keep economies open. “To ensure rapid
recovery, we in Asia, and elsewhere, must keep economies open,
revive disrupted supply chains, and resist protectionist
temptations,” he added.
He said, “No one will be safe unfortunately until everyone issafe…The vaccine’s supply and distribution must beimmediately expanded, patent rights waived, production ramped
up, including in the developing world and the COVAX facility
fully extended and funded”. The PM mentioned that coronavirus
had created the worst global health, economic and social crisis in
the past 100 years and said it was essential to provide lowincome countries a fiscal space and liquidity to respond to theimpact of the pandemic, revive economic growth and preservesocial stability. He recalled his earlier proposal of a five-point
agenda for debt relief, SDR creation and re-allocation, larger
concessional finance, fulfillment of climate financecommitments, and an end to illicit financial flows fromdeveloping countries.
The PM welcomed the extension of the G-20’s debt suspension
initiative, the agreement to create $650 billion in new SDRs,
expand IDA funding and also expand the emergency support
programmes for the Multilateral Development Banks. The
recommendations of the FACTI Panel on illicit financial flows
must also be implemented, he added. Linking dynamic economic
growth in Asia with greater physical connectivity, he said,

China’s Belt and Road Initiative
provided an important pathway to suchregional integration across the AsiaPacific Region and beyond. He
welcomed proposals from Japan andothers to support and finance quality
infrastructure in Asia and elsewhere.
The PM said CPEC, a flagship projectof the Belt and Road Initiative, hadgenerated economic activity andemployment
besidesenhancingbilateral and regional trade. He said
Pakistan looked towards serving as a
geo-economic hub connecting theeconomies of Central Asia, South Asia,
West Asia and beyond. However, hepointed that this potential could not be
fully unleashed until the countries did
not resolve their outstanding conflicts
and disputes.

Representative of Nikkei Asia Ms. Fumika
Iwasaki presents a letter of gratitude toAmbassador Imtiaz Ahmad. The letter is fromPresident and CEO of Nikkei , Tsuyoshi
HASABE for Prime Minister Imran Khan forhis participation in 26th Future of Asia
Conference in May 2021.

Ambassador had a meeting with Vice Governorof Miyagi Prefecture(Tokyo, June 25, 2021): Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmad met Vice Governor of Miyagi prefecture, Mr. EndoShinya at Miyagi Prefectural Government' Office. Mr. Endo thanked the Ambassador for visiting Miyagi
prefecture and recalled the assistance of Pakistani community for the people of Miyagi prefecture after
Tsunami in 2011. The Ambassador briefed the Vice Governor about recent steps taken by the Government ofPakistan and Japan to enhance people to people cooperation. He also thanked the Governor on behalf of 400
Pakistanis residing in Miyagi prefecture for their role in facilitating Pakistani Diaspora.

The Ambassador briefed the Vice Governor
about recent increase in the bilateral trade
between the both countries. He said that bydiversifying our trade, Pakistan has beenable to enhance its trade with Japan and thetrade, Investment and cultural cooperation
between both countries has witnessed apositive trajectory. Ambassador alsopresented an idea to hold an event at Miyagi
prefecture to celebrate 70th Anniversary of
establishment of diplomatic relations
between Japan and Pakistan in 2022. Mr.
Endo endorsed the idea and assured his fullcooperation in this matter.

During his visit to Miyagi prefecture, theAmbassador also met Chairman of SakuraBusiness Cooperative, Mr. Atsushi Kamada.
Sakura Business cooperative is first union inMiyagi prefecture to be approved to accept
long term technical intern trainees. Mr.
Kamada gave a detailed briefing of his union
along with tour of the facility which mainly
deals with the cleaning facilities andproducts. Mr. Kamada expressed his keeninterest in working with the Embassy to hire
Pakistani trainees once restrictions areremoved due to COVID. Ambassador
briefed Mr. Kamada about the potential andopportunities which Pakistan offers in thefield of manpower.

Ambassador had a meeting with President, Bears Inc.
and CEO, Saffran Group(Tokyo, June 14, 2021): Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmad had a meeting with Mr. Michiyoshi Takuma,President, Bears Real Estate Co., Ltd. and Mirza Asif Baig, CEO, Saffran Group. Bears Inc. Japanannounced to award order of IT platform for real estate to Saffran Group Company. Bears Inc. hasdecided to build high-tech platform to expand their services globally. They would provide a varietyof services to their clients in order to establish a distinct market position. We are happy that Bears
Inc. Japan has chosen Saffran Group from Pakistan for this product, which will be completed byhigh-tech IT experts in Pakistan.

The total cost ofproductdevelopment
would be JPY 350
million (US$ 3.2million) out of
which a JPY 130
million worth ofwork andinvestment road map
has already beendeveloped.
According tostatistics of Pakistan
Software Export
Board (PSEB) andJETRO, this order is

one of the largest direct orders of a JapaneseCorporation to Pakistan in the field of
information technology. This will encourageother Japanese companies to consider
Pakistan to source IT solutions in various
areas from Pakistan. This will also encourageother Pakistani technology companies toexplore opportunities to provide IT services toJapanese companies which will bring the twocountries closer in another futuristic area. TheAmbassador congratulated Bears Inc. Japanand Saffran Group for this project and assured
full cooperation of the Embassy and theGovernment of Pakistan for successful
completion of the endeavour.
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E-Khuli Kachehri “Open House” For Pakistani community(TOKYO, May 28, 2021): According to Prime
Minister’s initiative of reaching out to the Pakistanicommunity, Pakistan Embassy, Tokyo held an “OpenHouse” (E-Khuli Kachehri) on May 28, 2021.
Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmad chaired the event andopened the session with detailed briefing to thecommunity on purpose and objectives of the EKhuli Kachehri, followed by a quick round up of thecorona situation in Japan. He urged the community
to follow all the SOPs and take every precaution
against the virus. He also informed the community
about border enforcement measures by Japanese
Government in wake of new surge of Covid cases.
He also briefed the participants about recent changes in the immigration and entry procedures adopted byGovernment of Japan. He also briefed the audience about recent fire incident which occurred inside theChancery building. The community members praised Prime Minister Imran Khan’s initiative of E-Kachehris
and shared their opinions and suggestions regarding variety of topics.

Pakistan’s Exports to Japan Experience a 40% Growth(TOKYO, MAY 02, 2021): Pakistan’s exports to Japan have jumped by 40% in the first quarter (Jan - Mar)of 2021 compared to the last quarter of 2020 i.e. (Oct – Dec). The increase is more than 47% whencompared to the same period last year i.e. Jan – Mar 2020. These trade figures have been released recently
by Japan’s Ministry of Finance. This trend highlights that Pakistan is coming out of the challenges tointernational trade posed by the current pandemic.
Covid related limitations had brought a slight negative impact on trade between Pakistan and Japan towards
the end of last year; however, Pakistan’s exports to Japan bounced back in high numbers. As compared toexports of US$61.6 million in the last quarter of 2020, Pakistan has exported goods worth of US$86.1
million to Japan from January to March 2021, whereas exports in the same quarter last year stood at
US$58.7. This multiplying trend observed in bilateral trade is mainly associated with focused efforts of theMission to diversify the export mix of Pakistan for Japan.
Pakistani Mission in Tokyo, through its Trade and Investment Wing, devised an export diversification
strategy ‘Option Pakistan’ last year with a focused layout plan – reaching out to all major business chambers
and trade associations in Japan, introducing a range of Pakistani exportable products. The strategy not only
resulted in spreading information about Pakistan and its trade potential but also helped in providing Japanesecompanies with an attractive source of procurement for their businesses that are facing serious issues ofdepleting stocks due to travel restrictions. In the recent months seafood products, petroleum, dry fruits,
spices and minerals have contributed to Pakistan’s rising exports to Japan; whereas, a considerable increase
has been noticed in export of woven fabric, knitted garments, honey, sports goods, cutlery, socks, gloves,gems & jewelry and dates.
Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmad along Trade and Investment Counsellor Tahir Cheema held meetings with local
government trade departments, regional JETROs and Chambers of Business in Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Nara,Sendai, Aomori and other important business hubs. This high-level interaction with the Japanese business
community resulted in raising the confidence of Japanese importers in Pakistani goods.
Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) is also partnering with the Mission to increase presenceof Pakistani companies and products in the upcoming events to be held in a hybrid mode in Japan as thepandemic prolongs, adding to the challenges of manufacturers and exporters. This support will come in theform of enhanced subsidy by TDAP for priority sectors. In the coming months, TDAP, JETRO andPakistan’s Trade Mission at the Embassy will further strengthen plans to increase Pak-Japan trade.
4Japanese company donates 130000 Covid-19 testing kits to Pakistan(TOKYO, May 07, 2021): Embassy of Pakistan in Tokyo has formally accepted 130,000 rapid testing kitsfor Covid-19 from a Japanese healthcare company Fujirebio, after NCOC’s approval. Fujirebio is wellknown for its research, development and innovation-based products. According to the company, Espline isJapan’s first kit that detects covid-19 antigens in less than 30 minutes, offering a simple procedure using
nasal swab. The kits have an evidential concordance rate to RT-PCR.. The kits will be airlifted from Narita
Airport in Tokyo for Islamabad International Airport. On the directions of NCOC, National Disaster
Management Authority (NDMA) will be assisting with the logistics once the consignment arrives in Pakistan
early next week. National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad will implement a distribution plan for use of
these kits in different healthcare facilities across Pakistan.
Ambassador Mr. Imtiaz Ahmad
welcomed
thecompany
delegation at the Embassy andthanked them for the donation.
On behalf of Fujirebio, Mr.
Ryoichi Nagashima and Ms.
Keiko Yamamoto showed their
gratitude for a quick response
from the Government of Pakistan
in accepting the donation, while
appreciating support extended bythe Embassy and its officers insmooth coordination. Through aseries of meetings with theJapaneseteamandfield
inspection visits, Trade &Investment Counselor at the The Mission also acknowledges and appreciates efforts of two overseas
Embassy has been acting as the Pakistanis living in Japan, Mr. Ghalib Hussain and Mr. Farid Hussain who
focal point for providing a played a very important role in connecting the donor company Fujirebio
channel of close coordination with the Embassy of Pakistan in Tokyo. Efforts of Mission arebetween the donor company and complemented by Pakistani community in Japan who not only earn athe consignee agency in Pakistan. good name for Pakistan but also provide access to their networks for anational cause.

5Pakistan becoming the next ICT powerhouse, JICA

(TOKYO, APRIL 30, 2021): Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) has called Pakistan “thenext ICT powerhouse” in a handout that wasreleased recently. Digital Pakistan Policy (2018) thatoffers multiple incentives to IT sector is one of thekey driving factors in this trend, the reporthighlights.
According to the handout, Pakistan’s ICT exports
have increased six-times in the past 10 years,achieving fastest growth in South Asia. Pakistan is a
popular international outsourcing destination for its
price competitiveness and presence of a large
number of active freelancers, the report adds.
Based on a yearlong study by JICA in collaboration
with Pakistan Embassy Tokyo, the publication
places Pakistan as a new partner for Japanese IT
companies. The report gives an overview of ICT
industry in Pakistan; its performance in IT exports;
the support structure provided by Pakistani
government; a valuable pool of skilled and young
human resource; and, achievement of a growth leadecosystem equally owned by public and private
sectors. This study includes an “IT Skills Survey
2021” which found that Pakistani ICT engineers arehighlyskilledinprogramming,
softwaredevelopment, data processing & analysis,
infrastructure architecture and cloud engineering.
The report also includes feedback on Pakistani ICT
engineers already working in Japan who consider
Pakistan an untapped market for Japanese IT
companies, encouraging them to know more about
Pakistan and its collective potential in ICT.

Ambassador Mr. Imtiaz Ahmad welcomed theproject team in March 2020, offering them complete
support of the Mission while thanking JICA for itscontinued support in export and development sectors
in Pakistan. In the past the same team of experts
from JICA has rolled out various projects for humanresource development; value addition in textiles;
technical training; and, water and sanitation
infrastructure in Pakistan
Due to travel limitations posed by Covid-19
pandemic, Trade & Investment Counsellor Tahir
Habib Cheema played a key role in connecting JICA
experts with ICT industry in Pakistan. Throughmultiple online meetings in Pakistan and a close
coordination locally in Japan, Mr. Cheema was able
to keep Pakistani Mission in Tokyo as the single andmost resourceful access point for the researchers andrest of the stakeholders to engage and contribute.
The Mission welcomes JICA report which
acknowledges Pakistan’s efforts to promote creative
ICT utilization, entrepreneurship and innovation
with the support of private players providing accessto financing, export promotion and support for startups. Establishment of National Incubation Centers infive major cities and joint efforts of government,
industry and academia are successfully accelerating
growth of ICT industry in Pakistan.
It is expected that with the recent increase in exportof Pakistani goods to Japan, such efforts will play aneffective role in increasing IT exports and help
increase employment opportunities for Pakistani IT
engineers and skilled workforce.

6Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmad joins
Motoko Sekiya on "World Music
Cruise" a famous radio show onInter-FM 897 that introduces
world music and culture toJapanese audience. Ambassador
Ahmad shared famous Pakistanisongs and cultural insights. The
show was aired on 25th April 2021.

Mr. Jun Kaneko of The Mainichi
newspaper meets Ambassador Imtiaz
Ahmad. Matters related to Pakistan’s
cultural and tourism potential
discussed.

Mr. Jun Takahashi, Senior Manager,
International News Division NHK
called on Ambassador Imtiaz
Ahmad. Matters of mutual interest
were discussed.

Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmad
hosts a dinner for Japanese
media persons.

7Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmad
signing Debt Suspension
Agreement between Pakistan
and Japan in Tokyo on behalfof Government of Pakistan.
The facility amounts to $367
million as a part of Debt
Service Suspension Initiativefor fiscal facilitation in thewake of Covid-19 pandemic.

Economic, Trade, Cultural and Tourism Outreach

Pakistani Mangoes gettinga warm welcome in Japan looking forward to an
exceptional season.
Increasing share ofagricultural products isgoing to drive our export
diversification strategy.

Third High Level briefing on
EXPO2025 Osaka was made by
Executive Director Mr. Iwakura
Masaki at the Embassy of Pakistan
in Tokyo today to Ambassador Mr.
Imtiaz Ahmad and Trade
Counselor Mr. Cheema, sharing
updated information forprospective participant countries.
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