Japan-Pakistan Relations

On September 20, commencing at 11:10 a.m. for approximately 40 minutes, Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, who was visiting New York to attend the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly, held a Japan-Islamic Republic of Pakistan Summit Meeting with H.E. Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan (the second meeting between the two leaders). The overview is as follows. (The meeting was attended on the Pakistani side by H.E. Syed Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Mr. Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Foreign Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ms. Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations; and on the Japanese side by Mr. Kotaro Nogami, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Takeo Akiba, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kazuya Nashida, Director-General, Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Department, and others.)

1. At the beginning, Prime Minister Abe strongly condemned the terrorist attack that occurred in Pakistan this month, along with offering his condolences to the victims and explaining that Japan attached importance to its relationship with Pakistan. Prime Minister Abe stated that Japan supported the following 3 policies pursued by Prime Minister Sharif: (1)counter-terrorism, (2) economic reform, and (3) promoting amicable relations with neighboring countries. Prime Minister Sharif responded by expressing his gratitude, along with stating that after three and a half years, the reform efforts he had been engaging in since his inauguration were producing results.
2. Prime Minister Abe expressed his respect for the role that Pakistan had been playing in the fight against terrorism and the significant sacrifices it had made, and explained that he hoped to hold a bilateral dialogue to pursue further discussions on specific measures to counter terrorism and violent extremism. Prime Minister Abe also requested that the safety of Japanese nationals who were active in Pakistan be ensured. Prime Minister Sharif replied that countering terrorism was Pakistan's most important challenge, and Pakistan hopes to cooperate further with Japan.
3. Prime Minister Abe explained that Japan was paying attention to Pakistan's large population and workforce, and hoped that Pakistan would engage further in areas such as an improvement of the investment environment and public order so that more Japanese companies would establish businesses there. Prime Minister Sharif stated that Japanese companies' activities were essential to Pakistan's economic growth, and he expressed expectations toward areas such as trade, investment, infrastructure development, and human resources development. 
4. The two leaders exchanged views on the South Asia situation and North Korea situation, and Prime Minister Abe expressed the view that a new United Nations Security Council resolution should be adopted on North Korea, including further sanctions. The two leaders acknowledged the importance of the international community's cooperation for the response. Prime Minister Sharif explained the circumstances in Kashmir, along with expressing his hope toward Japan's role in achieving a peaceful resolution.