Japan-Pakistan Summit Meeting

On September 22, commencing at around 4:30 p.m. (local time; September 23, 5:30 a.m. JST) for approximately 45 minutes, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, who is visiting New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly session, held a Japan-Pakistan Summit meeting with H.E. Mr. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Mimister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
 
1. Prime Minister Kishida conveyed his condolences for the devastating floods that have been occurring in Pakistan since mid-June, and explained the assistance that Japan has been providing to date, including Emergency Grant Aid of USD 7 million through international organizations. In response, Prime Minister Sharif expressed his gratitude.
 
2. Prime Minister Kishida reiterated his appreciation for the generous support Pakistan has provided since last August for the departure of Japanese nationals, Afghan staff of the Japanese Embassy and the JICA office from Afghanistan, and expressed his desire to work together to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan. In response, Prime Minister Sharif stressed the importance of establishing stability in Afghanistan.
 
3. The two leaders also exchanged views on a wide range of other regional and international affairs, and concurred that, whether it is in Europe or Asia, changing status-quo unilaterally by force in any regions is never allowed, that international laws should be respected and that disputes should be resolved through dialogues.
 
4. Furthermore, Prime Minister Kishida stated that in this year of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Pakistan, he wishes to work closely together to realize a "free and open Indo-Pacific" and to take bilateral relations to an even higher level. Prime Minister Sharif stated that he would like to strengthen its bilateral relations with Japan even further.