Japan’s Foreign Minister Kono meets PM Oli; New dimension in Nepal-Japan relations

Kathmandu / Jan 10: Visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Tara Kono met Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and discussed bilateral issues.

The visiting delegation reached PM’s official residence in Baluwater, Kathmandu this morning. During the meeting, Minister Kono assured to continue Japanese assistance in Nepal’s development in the future.

PM Oli presented a bouquet to Kono and whished him Happy Birthday, which fell on Thursday.

Nepal and Japan, during a meeting between Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali and Kono on Wednesday, exchanged note on memorandum of understanding on the revised air service agreement signed in Japan on June 8 last year and setting up a bilateral consultative mechanism between the two foreign ministries.

New dimension in Nepal-Japan relations

Director of the International Press Division of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Natsuko Sakata has said that the visit by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono to Nepal has added a new dimension to the age-old Japan-Nepal relations.

Talking to editors of the Nepali media at a programme in Kathmandu, on Wednesday evening, Sakata, who is also part of the Japanese Foreign Minister’s delegation, said the visit also opens door to exchange of high-level visits in the future and expansion of relations at the people’s level.

He was of the view that the visit would give continuity to exchange of high-level visits and talks at the senior political level, which had not been able to take place for a long time. He said that the renewed air service agreement would also contribute to exchange of visits between Nepal and Japan.

Stating that Japan, as a friendly nation of Nepal, has been supporting the country’s socio-economic, cultural, educational and various other sectors since a long time, Sakata added that Japan wished to see a prosperous Nepal, would continue its cooperation in the days to come.

Inclusion of Nepal as a source country for labour with the recent change in the labour law of Japan will provide jobs for Nepali workers in Japan’s labour market. “The process to select workers under the new labour provision will begin from coming April in nine countries including Nepal,” Sakata shared.

He also shared that the skills of Nepali workers will be listed for 14 sectors including construction, industry, agriculture, fishery, hotel, service sector, food production, automobiles, among others. The basis for selection of such workers will be determined in the near future. Of the two major bases, one will be the job efficiency and experience and other Japanese language skills, he said. RSS