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Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi have reaffirmed their strong commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, infrastructure, deep-sea ports, energy, information and communication technology (ICT), and foreign investment.
The two leaders made the commitment at a joint press conference following their meeting at the Japanese prime minister’s office in Tokyo on Tuesday. Several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were also signed during the visit.
The meeting began at 11:45 a.m. local time. Takaichi welcomed Tarique Rahman at her office at 11:30 a.m., where he was accorded a guard of honour before the two leaders proceeded to their bilateral talks.
Addressing the joint press conference, Tarique Rahman said Japan holds a special place in the hearts of the Bangladeshi people. He said the friendship between the two countries is founded on mutual respect, trust, and a shared vision of peace, prosperity and stability.
“As a peace-loving nation, Japan was among the first countries to recognise Bangladesh following our independence in 1971,” he said.
Over the past five decades, Japan has remained one of Bangladesh’s most valued development partners, making significant contributions to the country’s socioeconomic progress and infrastructure development, he added.
The prime minister said the two leaders had held productive discussions on bilateral, regional and international issues. Reaffirming their longstanding friendship, they expressed a firm commitment to deepening cooperation in energy, ICT, trade, infrastructure, deep-sea ports and foreign investment.
During the visit, the two countries took concrete steps to strengthen bilateral relations and signed several MoUs covering key areas of cooperation. Tarique Rahman said a joint statement outlined the outcomes and priorities agreed upon during the discussions.
He described the longstanding partnership as an opportunity to take bilateral relations to a new level.
The prime minister also invited Japanese investors, businesses and financial institutions to explore investment opportunities in Bangladesh and become partners in the country’s next phase of growth.
“We are committed to working with our Japanese partners to unlock productive investment, technology transfer, job creation and other mutually beneficial business opportunities,” he said.
Tarique Rahman expressed confidence that the two countries could build a more resilient and prosperous future together.
“Our ambition is clear: to transform the friendship between our two countries into a powerful engine of economic opportunity and partnership,” he said, calling for cooperation that would benefit both countries’ people today and leave a lasting legacy for future generations.
Bilateral Relations Elevated to Strategic Partnership
Meanwhile, the two prime ministers announced a joint commitment to strengthening cooperation in ensuring peace and security, with the aim of taking Bangladesh-Japan relations to a higher level.
During the talks, the leaders made what was described as a historic decision to elevate bilateral relations to a strategic partnership.
Takaichi said relations between the two countries had grown stronger over the past 50 years, describing Japan as a trusted, long-term partner of Bangladesh.
She noted that Japan had consistently played an important role in Bangladesh’s economic growth and expressed hope that the new strategic partnership would open up fresh opportunities and usher in a new chapter in relations between the two countries.
