Kathmandu: President Ram Chandra Paudel has said that relations between Nepal and Japan have been moving forward with closer and deeper friendship since the establishment of diplomatic relations. Moreover, he said that Nepal wants to work together with the Japanese leadership to strengthen this relationship and cooperation.
President Paudel expressed this view on the occasion of a courtesy call by Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae while he is on an official visit to Japan, in Tokyo on February 3.
“We are grateful for the continuous support, goodwill, and understanding of the Japanese government towards us, and we want to work together with the Japanese leadership in the coming days to further strengthen the friendly relations and mutual cooperation between the two countries,” President Paudel’s press advisor Kiran Pokharel informed, quoting him.
Stating that the 70th anniversary of Nepal-Japan diplomatic relations is a milestone in the bilateral relations established between the two countries, President Paudel said that such high-level visits will further strengthen the relations.
Noting that Japan is an important development partner in Nepal’s social and economic development, he said that there is great potential to attract Japanese investment in Nepal’s development priority areas, as well as to expand bilateral trade. “For this, Nepal has already made legal, procedural, and institutional reforms to facilitate trade, attract foreign investment, and promote innovation,” President Paudel said.
Japan’s bilateral grants, loans, multilateral assistance, and technical assistance, he said, have made significant contributions to human resource development, health, agricultural development, infrastructure development, environmental protection, and cultural preservation in Nepal.
“I am confident that Nepal will continue to receive cooperation and goodwill from Japan as it moves towards upgrading from the least developed country category,” President Paudel said.
He said that Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, has served as a strong bridge between the people of both countries, who believe in the Buddha’s philosophy of world peace, stability, and brotherhood. He expressed his best wishes for the complete success of the general elections to be held soon in Japan.
On the occasion, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae expressed Japan’s wish for the upcoming March 5 election of members of the House of Representatives in Nepal to be successful, as the stability of Nepal is important for Japan and the region. Prime Minister Takaichi also said that Japan would send observers to the election.
Stating that Nepal and Japan have been close friends for a long time, she said that relations between the two countries are deepening due to contacts with Nepali students studying in Japan and the climbing of Nepal’s mountains by Japanese citizens.
Prime Minister Takaichi said on the occasion of the Nepal-Japan diplomatic relations that Japan would continue to support Nepal in the field of information technology and democracy, calling for further strengthening of the relationship between the two countries.
At the invitation of the Japanese government, President Paudel, along with First Lady Sabita Poudel, went to Japan on February 2 to participate in a special ceremony to be held on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Japan.
