PRESS NOTE

Honorable Finance Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has arrived Tokyo today on a five days official visit on the invitation of the Government of Japan. Today, Hon. Finance Minister met Mr. Yasuo Hayashi, Chairman of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and highlighted the Nepal government’s priority on economic development through enhanced level of investments, particularly on infrastructure sector. He requested JETRO to facilitate the endeavor that Government of Nepal has taken to encourage the private sectors – domestic and foreign, for the higher level of investments benefiting the market potentialities in two big neighboring countries, India and China. President of JETRO has expressed that Nepal’s investment potentialities further need to be promoted through different means like seminars, investment forums, product shows, campaigns, business to business consultations and assured that JETRO would extend cooperation through its office in New Delhi and Embassy of Nepal in Tokyo.

Honorable Minister, during the luncheon meeting, also exchanged the views on Nepal’s peace and economic development perspectives with Prof. Rei  Shiratori, a veteran political scientist and President of Institute of Political Scientist of Japan. In response to the Hon. Minister’s inquisitiveness to learn that how Japan developed as an only one country in eastern continent, despite the challenges of World War destructions, Prof. Shiratori shared his experiences that the feeling of nationality, spirit of development and pursuit of civilization have boosted Japan as an economic super power in reasonably short span of time.

In the afternoon, Hon. Minister has visited the Embassy of Nepal in Tokyo. He appreciated the substantial progress in promoting economic diplomacy last year and appraised the innovative programs that the Embassy has proposed for 2009. He also directed to the embassy to focus more on economic dimension through investment promotion.

Embassy of Nepal, Tokyo

February 6, 2009