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| Monday, 27 December 2004 |
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by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi Visiting Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Japan Keishiro Fukushima yesterday stressed Japan would extend assistance to improve the economic and social conditions of Sri Lanka. The Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Japan, is immediately below the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, by rank and therefore can be interpreted as "Junior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs". Fukushima explained that Japanese aid would be made available to sectors such as improving social infrastructure, technical assistance and also upgrading small scale irrigation projects. He was addressing journalists after visiting agricultural and irrigation projects in the Gampaha district, which have been funded by the Government of Japan. Fukushima is in Sri Lanka on a four day visit from December 25 to 28. He is a member of the House of Councillors under the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Fukushima's visit to Sri Lanka is primarily for the purpose of exchanging views with officials of the Government of Sri Lanka on strengthening bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Japan. He will discuss with Sri Lankan officials on ODA (Official Development Assistance), cultural exchanges, tourism, commerce as well as the peace process. His visit to Sri Lanka is a follow-up on the recent visit to Japan by Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar who proposed a deepening and widening of bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Japan. Fukushima yesterday visited Morenna Agriculture Technology Transfer and Training Centre in Morenna and the Minor Export Crop Promotion Centre in Walpita in the Gampaha district. He commended the authorities for maintaining those projects well. "I am happy as those projects had immensely benefitted the farming community in the area and also because they have been maintained well for the improvement of agriculture." He stressed that farmers should be encouraged to manufacture quality agricultural products to enable them to obtain a competitive price for their produce." Modern technology and machinery should be made available to farmers to manufacture quality products. Therefore, they should be given loans at concessionary rates with other assistance." he added. Fukushima said peace is also necessary for achieving economic prosperity. He stressed that Japan would extend assistance for the social and economic development of Sri Lanka and also to usher peace to Sri Lanka. Japanese Ambassador in Sri Lanka Akio Suda and JICA's Resident Representative Ueshima Takumi were also present. |
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