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JAPAN’S SOUTH ASIA POLICY

SARID, January 20, 2007

According to the Japanese ambassador to Pakistan, Seiji Kojima, a stable and prosperous South Asia is crucial for peace and security in the world.

Speaking on ‘Japan’s policy towards South Asia’ at a public talk organized by the Institute for Strategic Studies in Islamabad, he asserted that the eradication of poverty in South Asia, home to half of the world’s poor, would “enhance human security and guarantee peace and stability in the region.”

Ambassador Kojima also said that, with a population of around 1.5 billion, South Asia has potential as a huge market and export base after China. He pointed out that Japan was an important trade partner for many South Asian countries. In the period 2004-05, South Asian exports to Japan amounted to 3.15 billion dollars, representing 2.8 percent of the total exports from South Asia, while the region’s imports from Japan totalled 5.12 billion dollars, representing 3.3 percent of the total imports of the region.

In addition, he emphasized that for Japan, which relies on the Middle East for more than 80 percent of its oil consumption, the security of the sea lane in this region is vital.

The Ambassador said that Japanese people were against nuclear weapons and hoped that South Asians would share the same feeling based upon the goal of achieving a world as nuclear-free zone.

These considerations had formed the basis of Japanese foreign policy towards South Asia during the past six decades, he said, adding that they would continue to govern Japan’s future policy.

Both Japan and South Asia faced new challenges such as terrorism, disarmament, non-proliferation and drug-trafficking, Ambassador Kojima asserted. He thought that South Asia could contribute a great deal on these fronts, saying, “To tackle these challenges, Japan will further promote dialogue and political cooperation with South Asian countries and assist in installing hard and soft infrastructure.”

The Ambassador declared that Japan’s foreign policy towards South Asia had to be based upon multi-faceted relations, cooperative relationship between the governments and private sectors, and respect for the identity of region. He supported the ongoing composite dialogue process between Pakistan and India and hoped that the two countries would resolve their differences on various issues, including that of Jammu and Kashmir, in a peaceful manner. The ambassador said that economic cooperation in South Asia would generate a favorable atmosphere for further political dialogues among the members.

Sources: Associated Press of Pakistan (http://www.app.com.pk), Daily Times (http://www.dailytimes.com.pk)