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 Japan Brief |
| 【Japan Brief】International Conferences on Assistance to Pakistan Held on Japan’s Initiative |
Japan Brief / FPCJ, No. 0922
April 20, 2009
International Conferences on Assistance to Pakistan Held on Japan’s Initiative
Two international conferences on assistance to Pakistan were held in Tokyo on April 17, the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Ministerial Meeting, hosted by the Pakistani government, and the Pakistan Donors Conference, hosted jointly by the Japanese government and the World Bank. Approximately 50 countries and international organizations participated in the conferences, including Britain, China, and the United States. At the Pakistan Donors Conference, donors pledged new financing for Pakistan totaling more than $5 billion over the next two years and announced that the international community would act in unison to provide assistance to that country. The following is a summary of the conferences based on reports by Japan’s main national newspapers.
The peace and stability of Pakistan have become important issues in the international community’s efforts to eradicate terrorism. The conferences in Tokyo were convened on the initiative of Japan so that the international community could act in concert in providing assistance to Pakistan.
In a speech at the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Ministerial Meeting, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari declared his determination to adopt antiterrorism measures and tackle economic reforms in his country and called on the international community for assistance. In response, at the Pakistan Donors Conference, the participants indicated that the international community would extend positive assistance for Pakistan, with donors pledging over $5 billion in new financing, more than the $4 billion requested by Pakistan.
In a speech at the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Ministerial Meeting, Prime Minister Taro Aso emphasized that “Pakistan has played a vitally important role in the efforts of the international community to counter terrorism and extremism” and added, “Without the stability of Pakistan, there can be no stable Afghanistan.” Japan pledged $1 billion worth of assistance over the next two years, which is on a par with that of the United States.
Newspaper Editorials
Four of Japan’s five main newspapers carried editorials relating to the conferences on assistance to Pakistan, which were convened on the initiative of the Japanese government.
The Yomiuri Shimbun editorial (April 18), headlined “Stabilize Pakistan, Afghanistan together,” stressed that the strengthening of assistance to Pakistan was necessary also for the stabilization of Afghanistan. In response to President Zardari’s declaration at the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Ministerial Meeting that he intended to promote his country’s antiterrorist policy and his call for cooperation from the international community, it commented, “Japan, which hosted the conference, must support Pakistan through official development assistance and other programs.” Furthermore, regarding assistance to Afghanistan in the civilian field, the Yomiuri noted, “. . . in reality, support programs in the field have been mainly limited to those conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and nongovernmental organizations. It has been pointed out that there is work in which the Self-Defense Forces can actively be involved, for instance, in participation in provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs) and dispatch of transport helicopters. Although SDF dispatches to Afghanistan may be difficult under the current Diet situation, the government should keep studying the possibility of sending the SDF to the country.”
Under the headline “Aid package to Pakistan: The country’s stability is essential for the region,” the Asahi Shimbun editorial (April 18) highly praised the Japanese government’s initiative in the meetings, stating, “Japan, which has restricted its military involvement, should contribute to regional stability by doing what it does best---providing development aid. To that end, Japan hosts international conferences, mediates the interests of various countries, and puts together assistance packages. Vigorous participation like this means a lot in Japan’s efforts to fulfill its international responsibilities.” Among other things, it then requested the Japanese government from now on to actively verify the uses of assistance funds, lobby toward the improvement of relations between India and Pakistan, and urge Pakistan to participate in frameworks for the abolition of nuclear weapons and nuclear nonproliferation.
The Sankei Shimbun editorial (April 19), titled “Assistance for Pakistan: Antipoverty measures are urgent task for Japan,” welcomed the efforts of the Japanese government to convene the conferences, saying that “We would like to praise these efforts as an initiative that demonstrates the presence of Japanese diplomacy.” Expressing expectation of Japan’s role in assistance to Pakistan, the Sankei went on, “Pakistan also has great expectations of Japan, which has built up an impressive track record in assistance to Afghanistan in the civilian field.” It added, “Specifically, there are the fields of electric power, infrastructure development, and agricultural development in which Japan has contributed through yen loans and grant aid. In particular, antipoverty measures are urgent in the border region, which is seen as ‘a hotbed of terrorism.’ There are many fields, including polio eradication and school construction, in which Japan can make further efforts.”
The Nikkei editorial (April 19), headlined “Involvement in Pakistan must be continued to contain terrorism,” commented positively on the Japanese government’s pledge of $1 billion worth of assistance to Pakistan, “It is natural if Japan is to play a positive role in assistance to Pakistan, which is very important geopolitically.” Noting also that Pakistan, where political instability is continuing, possesses nuclear weapons, The Nikkei stated, “The stability of Pakistan is essential from the perspective of preventing nuclear proliferation, too. The important thing is for the international community to continue its involvement there. We hope that from now on the Japanese government will continue to draw up assistance measures that lead to the real stabilization of Pakistan.”
(Copyright 2009 Foreign Press Center, Japan)
*Japan Brief is an original production of the Foreign Press Center, Japan, and does not represent the views of the Government of Japan or of any other body.
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