Yunus off to Japan on four-day official visit

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus departed for Tokyo in the early hours of today on a four-day official visit to participate in the 30th Nikkei Forum Future of Asia and hold bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

"The chief adviser left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Tokyo at 2:10am on a Cathay Pacific flight," his Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder told UNB.

He said Prof Yunus is scheduled to reach at Narita International Airport at 2:30pm (Tokyo time) today and is expected to return home on Saturday, wrapping up his tour.

"This is a very important visit," Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said during a media briefing on Tuesday at the Foreign Service Academy.

He said Bangladesh is expecting to get $500 million budgetary support from Japan in addition to $250 million for the country's railway sector with likely support in other areas as the two countries eye to further strengthen the relations between the two countries.

Bangladesh has sought $1 billion from Japan in the form of 'soft loan' and the announcement will come formally after the bilateral talks between the two leaders, and an exchange of notes will be signed.

The press secretary said the chief adviser is giving much emphasis on sending skilled manpower to Japan.

"We have a target to send 1,00000 skilled manpower," he said, adding that the government is working to send them very quickly with adequate training, especially language skills.

The press secretary said it is a priority area for the chief adviser, and Bangladesh is exploring the area.

On the business side, he said two seminars will be held - one on investment by the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), where hundreds of businessmen of both countries will discuss the economic future.

The other seminar will be on skilled labourers or workers hosted by the Bangladesh side with Japanese public private engagement, the envoy said, adding that on both occasions, some MoUs are to be signed.

The chief adviser is scheduled to attend the 30th Nikkei Future of Asia conference in Tokyo and hold bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on May 30, aiming to secure funding for key projects.

This will be Prof Yunus' first visit to Japan as the chief adviser. He visited Japan multiple times, including the visit to attend the 2004 Nikkei Asia Prize award ceremony and the participation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Opinion Leader Invitation Program in 2007.

Briefing the media on Monday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Acting Foreign Secretary Md Ruhul Alam Siddique said the chief adviser and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will hold bilateral talks in Tokyo on Friday and discuss 'strategic bilateral' issues to strengthen relations on all fronts.

"The meeting will discuss various strategic bilateral issues between Bangladesh and Japan – trade and investment, cooperation in the areas of agriculture, infrastructure, and human resource development," he said.

Siddique noted that the Rohingya issue will also be discussed during the meeting.

The chief adviser will be accorded a red carpet reception and a guard of honour before the meeting, said the Acting Foreign Secretary.

"The main focus of this visit is budgetary support," Siddique said in response to a question, adding that all 'strategic bilateral' issues will be discussed.

He said a total of seven MoUs are likely to be signed during the official visit of the Chief Adviser.

Taro Aso, president of the Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship League, will pay a courtesy call on the chief adviser on May 28.

He will attend a dinner to be hosted in his honour by President of the Nippon Foundation Yohei Sasakawa where Japanese political and business leaders will be present.

Following the dinner, the Chief Adviser will hold an interactive meeting with Japanese dignitaries.

On May 29, Prof Yunus will be called on by high-ranking officials of Nikkei before the opening of the 30th Nikkei Forum Future of Asia.

In the inaugural plenary session, the chief adviser will deliver a keynote speech, calling on Asia and the wider world to work together and build a better future on the theme 'Asia's Challenge in a Turbulent World'.

Tanaka Akihiko, president of JICA, will also make a courtesy call to the chief adviser.

During the meeting, JICA's future cooperation with Bangladesh and the progress of various ongoing projects funded by JICA will be discussed.

In February this year, Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Ikuina Akiko invited Chief Adviser Prof Yunus to visit Japan for the Nikkei 30th Future of Asia event to be held on May 29-30 in Tokyo. Prof Yunus is also a recipient of the Nikkei Asia Prize in 2004.

Political, economic and sectoral cooperation issues, along with trade and investment, people-to-people connectivity, cultural exchanges, the situation of Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (Rohingyas), security cooperation and regional and global matters are likely to be discussed during the visit.

The two countries are expected to further strengthen their bilateral relationship across a wide range of areas, including security, the economy, economic cooperation, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, under the 'Japan-Bangladesh Strategic Partnership'.