Nikkei reported that Prime Minister Kishida met with visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina at the Kantei on Wednesday. The two leaders reportedly agreed to begin negotiations toward concluding an agreement on the transfer of defense equipment and technology, which is required for Japan to export defense equipment to Bangladesh. Yomiuri and Sankei also reported that the two leaders agreed to….Read more

The Japanese government is strengthening its support for the development of northeastern India, a strategically important underdeveloped region bordering China.

Debts held by emerging and developing countries are ballooning. In addition to smoldering financial instability in Europe and the United States, the debt issue has become a flashpoint for the global economy. Talks for support measures to prevent the crisis from spreading must be hastened.   The Japanese government, jointly with India and France, has launched a common platform for….Read more

Nikkei front-paged a planned joint announcement today by Japan, India, France, and others that a creditor conference will be launched to reorganize the massive debt borne by Sri Lanka, which went into default about a year ago amid the coronavirus pandemic. Multiple nations as well as the IMF, the World Bank, and commercial financial institutions are expected to participate in….Read more

Sankei took up the disclosure by multiple GOJ sources that arrangements are underway for Foreign Minister Hayashi to visit Paraguay, Peru, Chile, and Barbados beginning in late April. The paper speculated that the tour is part of the GOJ’s efforts to enhance coordination with the Global South ahead of the G7 Hiroshima Summit in mid-May.  

Tokyo, April 4 (Jiji Press) – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Dominican Republic Vice President Raquel Pena on Tuesday affirmed their countries’ cooperation to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific region.     At their meeting in Tokyo, the two also agreed to work together to deal with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear and missile development.     Noting that the Asian and Caribbean nations….Read more

TAIZO WADA, Nikkei staff writer   TOKYO — The government-backed Japan Bank for International Cooperation plans to finance the bulk of Nippon Steel’s $5 billion capacity expansion at an Indian joint venture, seeking to support a Japanese company’s efforts to expand its presence in the global supply chain.   AM/NS India, a joint venture between Nippon Steel and Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal,….Read more

 Tokyo, March 29 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday expressed concern about the Myanmar military’s decision to dissolve the National League for Democracy, or NLD, led by Aung San Suu Kyi.   “We express serious concern that further exclusion of the NLD from the political process will make it even more difficult to improve the situation,” Press Secretary Hikariko….Read more