Japan has reaffirmed its commitment to assist Bangladesh in implementing the forthcoming 9th Five-Year Plan, currently in the formulation stage.
"Japan is always with us. They have committed to stand by us in various developments in the future," said Abdus Salam, Bangladesh's planning minister, following a meeting with Iwama Kiminori, the Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh, on Wednesday.
Minister Salam said that Japan is revising its cooperation plan to align with Bangladesh's needs and Japan's policies, targeting the new five-year plan.
Ambassador Kiminori, responding to journalists' questions, confirmed that several issues were discussed during the meeting.
The General Economics Division (GED) of the Planning Commission has initiated the drafting of the Ninth Five-Year Plan, which is set to be implemented from July 2025 to June 2030.
The Planning Minister highlighted that the specific areas requiring assistance under the new plan will be determined through discussions between the two countries.
"Japan will stand by according to the government's priority," he added.
Minister Salam also mentioned that Japan has been requested to continue its cooperation in enhancing skills in Bangladesh, particularly seeking support for the second phase of the Public Investment Management System.
Around 40 projects and programmes in Bangladesh are being implemented with Japanese support.
He added that the technical issues for implementing these projects were discussed in the meeting.
