KARACHI: Pakistan and Japan have agreed to hold bilateral talks next month for the removal of banking bottlenecks faced by both the countries’ nationals engaged in trade.

This transpired during Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President Daroo Khan Achakzai’s visit to Japan. He met officials of Ministry of Economy, Trade & Ministry (METI), including Director (South Asia) Miyake Yasujiro, Deputy Director Investment Facilitation Takayuki Kanai and Deputy Director General Trade Haruhisa Somaya.

Both sides discussed issues of bilateral trade, economic relations and the impediments, particularly with respect to opening of new bank accounts.

FPCCI president also informed that many operational bank accounts of Pakistanis in Japan were being suspended for some reason to which METI officials shared that the same is being faced by Japanese in Pakistan. Achakzai assured the officials to take up the matter with the government and it was agreed by both the sides to hold a joint meeting next month to discuss bilateral banking procedures.

He also met the Pakistani envoy to Japan Imtiaz Ahmed at the Pakistani Embassy in Tokyo and discussed promotion of bilateral trade and economic relations between the two countries.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2019