Japanese Ambassador Saida Shinichi met Trade Advisor Sheikh Bashiruddin. The meeting was held at the Trade Advisor’s office at the Secretariat on Wednesday (November 12).
The meeting discussed in detail the expansion of bilateral trade and the overall activities of the Third Terminal construction project of Shahjalal International Airport.
Trade Advisor Sheikh Bashiruddin called Japan a trusted and important development partner in Bangladesh’s development journey and said, “The successful EPA negotiations and the interest of the Japanese consortium (Sumitomo) in the airport infrastructure sector will further accelerate and strengthen our bilateral economic and trade relations.”
The Trade Advisor expressed his gratitude and appreciation to them for the successful completion of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations with Japan. He said, “The EPA agreement is very important for Bangladesh, which will ensure duty-free and quota-free access to the Japanese market for Bangladeshi exports.”
The Japanese ambassador said, “The Japanese consortium (Sumitomo) is interested in the operations and maintenance of the third terminal of Shahjalal International Airport in Bangladesh.” He also mentioned that they are interested in holding discussions with the Civil Aviation Authority at the earliest.
He said, “Japan has been playing a role in the development progress of Bangladesh for a long time. The signing of the EPA agreement, Japan’s financing and technical assistance for large infrastructure projects, cooperation in human resource development – all these are signs of a dynamic partnership between the two countries.”
Nasreen Jahan, Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Karasawa Shinzu, First Secretary and Head of Economic and Development Affairs of the Embassy of Japan, and Hironori Yamanaka, Bangladesh Country General Manager of Sumitomo Corporation of Japan, were present on the occasion.
