Japan-Bangladesh Summit Meeting

November 29, 2010
Japanese

(Photos: Cabinet Public Relations Office)

On November 29 (Mon), Mr. Naoto Kan, Prime Minister of Japan, had a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office with Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, who was on an Official Working Visit to Japan, for about 45 minutes from 6:35 p.m. The overview of the meeting is as follows (participants from the Bangladeshi side: Mr. Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Finance Minister; Dr. Dipu Moni, Foreign Minister; Dr. Alauddin Ahmed, Adviser to the Honorable Prime Minister; Dr. Mashiur Rahman, Adviser to the Honorable Prime Minister; Dr. Syed A Samad, Executive Chairman of the Board of Investment; Mr. Mohammad Ziauddin, Ambassador-at-large, and others; participants from the Japanese side: Mr. Tetsuro Fukuyama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Fumihiko Igarashi, Senior Vice Minister of Finance; Mr. Hisashi Tokunaga, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and others):

After the meeting, the two leaders signed a Japan-Bangladesh joint statement titled “Enhancement of a Strong Partnership towards Peace and Prosperity in the International Community and the South Asian Region.” At the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Kan after the meeting, the two leaders enjoyed conversation in a congenial atmosphere, in which they touched upon such topics as the 40th year anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations in 2012, Japanese cuisine, Japanese assistance related to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), while referring to the friendly relations between the two countries.

Japan-Bangladesh Relations

(1) At the outset, Prime Minister Kan extended his cordial welcome to Prime Minister Hasina. Prime Minister Hasina expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome, and noted that this was her third visit to Japan and that Japan is a beautiful country and she very much likes Japan.
Prime Minister Hasina further noted that she found it representative of Bangladesh-Japan relationship that the Bangladeshi flag, which was designed by her father and the first President of Bangladesh, His Excellency Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is very similar to the Japanese flag. Prime Minister Kan responded that the two countries are like brothers.

(2) Prime Minister Hasina thanked Japan for an early recognition of the independence of Bangladesh, which had preceded that of other major countries, and expressed her appreciation for continued assistance since then. She stated that the visit to Bangladesh by then Their Imperial Highnesses the Crown Prince and Crown Princess in 1975 had laid the foundation for the friendly relations between the two countries.

(3) Prime Minister Hasina extended an invitation to Prime Minister Kan to visit Bangladesh, for which Prime Minister Kan expressed his gratitude.
Economic Relations

(1) Prime Minister Hasina stated that under the “Vision 2021” Bangladesh aims to transform itself into a middle-income country by the year 2021, and sought Japan’s cooperation in this regard. She expressed her hope to deepen bilateral exchanges with a view to enhancing their bilateral economic relations. Prime Minister also stated that she would like to invite more direct investment by Japanese companies in Bangladesh and added her request that an economic partnership agreement (EPA) be concluded in the future.

(2) Referring to the Request to the Government of Bangladesh to Promote Overseas Investment in Bangladesh, submitted last year by the Japan-Bangladesh Committee for Commercial and Economic Cooperation to Prime Minister Hasina, as well as the presence of major Japanese companies in Bangladesh with their number increasing, Prime Minister Kan asked for Bangladesh’s efforts to enhance an investment environment in Bangladesh with a view to promoting further entry of Japanese companies. Prime Minister Kan, having explained Japan’s basic policy to actively promote an EPA, proposed the launch of intergovernmental dialogue with Bangladesh to discuss economic issues. Prime Minister Kan also welcomed an Action Plan to be promoted by Bangladesh for enhancing investment.

(3) Prime Minister Hasina pointed out the emerging trade imbalances in recent years despite increasing bilateral trade relations, and made her request that the rules of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) be relaxed on knit products as a measure for redressing these imbalances. Prime Minister Kan responded that Japan will positively consider the request.
Economic Cooperation

(1) Prime Minister Hasina expressed her appreciation for Japan’s cooperation in the areas of infrastructure, education, health, and other areas. She thanked Japan’s assistance for the construction of the Rupsa bridge and Jamuna bridge, and requested assistance for the Padma multipurpose bridge construction project.

(2) Prime Minister Kan noted that Japan would like to continue its assistance for economic development and poverty reduction in Bangladesh, and expressed its intention to provide a Japanese ODA loan equivalent to US$400 million for the Padma multipurpose bridge construction project. Prime Minister Hasina expressed her deep appreciation for this assistance.

(3) In response to Prime Minister Hasina’s appreciation for the ODA loan (31st stage) and request for assistance for the ODA loan (32nd stage), Prime Minister Kan noted that the Government of Japan is currently considering the ODA loan (32nd stage).
Other (Global Issues)

(1) Prime Minister Hasina stated that Bangladesh shares Japan’s commitment to peace building and the elimination of nuclear weapons, and has been supporting Japan in international arena.

(2) Prime Minister Kan expressed his appreciation for Bangladesh’s support in international arena, and in particular, expressed his appreciation for Bangladesh’s support for Japan’s bid for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. Prime Minister Kan also noted that he is pleased that the two countries share the same vision with respect to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, and asked Prime Minister Hasina, who was scheduled to visit Hiroshima the following day, to share with the people of Bangladesh the aspirations of the people of Japan, which is the only country to have suffered from atomic bombings.

(END)

Japan-Bangladesh Joint Statement[PDF]

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