Islamabad: Pakistan and Japan on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral development cooperation, with a renewed focus on infrastructure, human resource development, digital transformation, tourism and sustainable economic growth aligned with the government’s URAAN Pakistan 5Es framework.
The two countries reiterated the resolve during a meeting between President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Dr Tanaka Akihiko and Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal.
They discussed expanding Pakistan-Japan development cooperation and explore new avenues of collaboration, a news release said.
Welcoming the JICA president, who called on the minister leading a delegation, Ahsan Iqbal appreciated Japan’s longstanding Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Pakistan and lauded JICA’s continued support in infrastructure, energy, water resources, health, education, agriculture and disaster risk management.
He described Japan as one of Pakistan’s most trusted development partners, saying its cooperation had made significant contributions to Pakistan’s socio-economic development over the decades.
Briefing the delegation on the country’s improving economic outlook, the minister said the government had successfully restored macroeconomic stability through prudent economic management and structural reforms undertaken under the IMF-supported programme.
He said Pakistan had overcome difficult economic challenges through collective national efforts and was now firmly on the path to sustainable economic growth.
The minister said the government’s reform agenda had substantially improved public finances, with revenues doubling over the past three years.
He reiterated the government’s resolve to maintain fiscal discipline, preserve macroeconomic stability and pursue investment-led, sustainable economic growth.
Highlighting the government’s long-term development vision, Ahsan Iqbal briefed the delegation on the URAAN Pakistan initiative and its 5Es framework, describing it as the country’s medium- and long-term roadmap for national transformation.
He said the framework focused on Exports, E-Pakistan, Environment and Climate Change, Energy and Infrastructure, and Equity and Empowerment as the five strategic pillars for achieving sustainable and inclusive development.
The minister said export-led growth remained the cornerstone of Pakistan’s long-term economic strategy, noting that the country’s economy had historically faced structural challenges owing to low exports and excessive reliance on imports.
“No country can achieve lasting economic prosperity without building a strong export base,” he remarked, adding that the government was investing in modern infrastructure and regional connectivity to enhance Pakistan’s export competitiveness and long-term economic resilience.
Referring to Pakistan’s demographic profile, Ahsan Iqbal said nearly 60 per cent of the country’s population comprised young people, calling them Pakistan’s greatest national asset.
He stressed that providing quality education, technical skills, modern vocational training and dignified employment opportunities for youth remained among the government’s highest priorities, while emphasising that women’s economic empowerment was equally vital for inclusive and sustainable national development.
To further strengthen bilateral cooperation, the minister proposed the development of a Pakistan-Japan Gandhara Tourism Corridor to promote cultural exchanges, religious tourism and people-to-people contacts based on the two countries’ shared Gandhara heritage.
Highlighting Pakistan’s recent accession to the Productivity, Quality and Innovation (PQI) initiative, he said it would help improve industrial competitiveness and support export-led growth.
He expressed the hope that JICA would extend technical cooperation for the successful implementation and expansion of the PQI initiative in collaboration with the Japan Productivity Center, and proposed establishing a joint working group to identify and develop practical collaborative projects.
Speaking on the occasion, JICA President Dr Tanaka Akihiko reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to further strengthening its longstanding development partnership with Pakistan.
Appreciating Pakistan’s economic reforms and improving macroeconomic stability, he said they had laid a strong foundation for expanding future cooperation.
He emphasised close coordination between JICA and the Ministry of Planning to develop high-impact projects aligned with URAAN Pakistan, particularly in human resource development, infrastructure, disaster risk management, education, small and medium enterprises, digital transformation, tourism, special economic zones, productivity enhancement and the PQI initiative.
Dr Tanaka agreed to establish a dedicated coordination mechanism, including technical workshops and regular consultations with JICA headquarters in Tokyo, to identify new areas of collaboration under the 5Es framework and accelerate project implementation.
He also expressed JICA’s desire to revive the momentum of bilateral cooperation and reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s sustainable and inclusive economic development.