Online Desk: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday reiterated his country’s support for Bangladesh in repatriation of Rohingyas to their homeland Myanmar. “Bangladesh has sheltered over one million displaced persons from Myanmar and we will continue to support its endeavour,” Kishida said

“We have upgraded our bilateral relationship to strategic partnership,” he said in a joint statement after holding bilateral talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo. He added that both the countries will work to increase bilateral relations in different areas and to expand the cooperation in the international community.

Kishida said that in the meeting today both the countries have affirmed their commitment to uphold free and open international order based on the rule of law as strategic partners at a time, when the international order stands at a historic turning point. He said the two countries have agreed to further strengthen the bilateral relations in a wide range of areas based on a new plan for free and open Indo-Pacific point announced last month.

“In the economic field, we agreed to make every progress through joint studies on the possibilities of Japan- Bangladesh Economic Partnership Agreement,” he said. The Japanese Premier said that Bangladesh with its remarkable economic development is an attractive investment destination and as such it is his countries (Japan’s) expectation that establishment of economic zones and improvement of investment environment will further strengthen economic relations between the two countries.