Visiting Japanese Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Komura Masahiko on Saturday said that Dhaka airport’s terminal 3 would become a “new phase” for Bangladesh and it would contribute to inviting more foreign investments including Japanese.
He was talking to reporters after the bilateral meeting with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam at the state guesthouse Padma, following the soft opening ceremony of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s (HSIA) third terminal.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the terminal while the Japanese vice-minister attended as a guest.
Japan helped in the construction of the state-of-the-art terminal.
State Minister Shahriar Alam expressed his gratitude for the support and said even during the Covid-19 pandemic the Japanese team continued their work to build the terminal on time.
Japanese minister Komura Masahiko lauded the “strong friendship” between the countries and said the relationship was built based on “trust”.
He remembered the visit of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to Japan in 1973 and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s in April this year.
The two prime ministers elevated the relationship to the “strategic level”, he said, about the April visit.
“I feel honoured to visit Bangladesh for the first time,” he said, adding: “I am very proud that Japan has been consistently supporting Bangladesh in its development”.
He also appreciated Bangladesh for hosting the Rohingya refugees and said Japan believes in their “voluntary, safe and sustainable return”.
“Japan will take necessary actions to improve the situation,” he said, adding that Bangladesh is one of the important countries in Japan’s goal towards a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Earlier, in his speech during the terminal launching, he said that Japan would continue to make concrete efforts, like the third terminal of Dhaka airport, that contribute to strengthening connectivity for the sake of "peace, stability and prosperity" of the region and the international community.
“Located at the nexus of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, Bangladesh is an important partner in realizing the Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” he said.
“I would like to congratulate the soft-opening of HSIA Terminal 3. Japan and Bangladesh have had a very close relationship since the establishment of diplomatic relations, as symbolized by the flags of both countries.
"The new bilateral relations are progressing in a variety of areas, including defense equipment cooperation and joint research toward a possible EPA," he continued.
The vice-minister will visit the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar on Sunday after a courtesy call with the prime minister.
