Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today spent a very busy time on the second day of her four-day state visit to Japan at the invitation of her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.
She passed the day with a number of engagements, including meetings with Japanese Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace and Japanese Prime Minister
Fumio Kishida at the Prime Minister's Office where she also witnessed the exchanges of instruments and made a joint statement afterwards.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, Bangladesh-Japan Committee for Commercial and Economic Cooperation chairman, JICA president, JETRO chairman and Bangladesh Friendship Parliamentary League president paid separate calls on her at the Palace of Residence, Akasaka Palace here.
Issues of mutual interests involving security cooperation, investment, enhanced trade relations, power and energy sector cooperation and Rohingya topped the agenda during the talks.
Against the backdrop of the global economic downturn and ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war, the visit is considered very important as the two countries also discussed enhanced cooperation to overcome the crisis.
Earlier, on her arrival in the Prime Minister's Office, her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida received Sheikh Hasina and accorded her a ceremonial reception.
The Bangladesh premier also inspected the guard of honour at the Entrance Hall of the Prime Minister's Office there.
National anthems of the two countries were played.
Sheikh Hasina ended the second day of her visit through attending a dinner hosted in her honour by her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida at the Large Hall of the Prime Minister's Residence.
Sheikh Hasina is visiting Japan after three years since she last visited the country in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.
Earlier, the Bangladesh premier arrived in the Haneda International Airport in Tokyo around 4:45pm local time yesterday (April 25) as the Prime Minister left Dhaka on a 15-day official tour to Japan, the USA and the UK on April 25 morning.
Japan welcomed the Bangladesh premier by rolling out the red carpet and also gave her the static guard of honour at the airport.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha