Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday welcomed the technical cooperation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Pakistan's minerals sector, calling its development a key government priority. He was speaking to a nine-member delegation led by JICA President Dr. Tanaka Akihiko during a meeting at the PM House, where he noted that Pakistan and Japan share a longstanding partnership spanning more than seven decades.
The prime minister stated that Pakistan has overcome difficult economic challenges and is advancing reforms that have doubled public revenues within three years. He emphasized that empowering youth and women through technical training is a top priority, while highlighting reforms in the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) to boost SMEs and exports with JICA's cooperation.
Dr. Akihiko thanked the prime minister for his condolences regarding the recent earthquake in Japan and affirmed JICA's readiness to expand cooperation in health, education, urban and rural development, vocational training, and industrial growth. He also commended Pakistan and its leadership for efforts to promote peace in the Middle East.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Ahad Khan Cheema, Musadik Malik, Hanif Abbasi, Awais Leghari, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Special Assistants to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi and Haroon Akhtar, and other senior officials.