The Pan-Asia Research Institute (PARI), a Japan-based non-profit multidisciplinary think tank, was launched in Dhaka on Saturday, aiming to cooperate in the areas of diplomacy, economy, business, trade and investment, and enhance the capacity of people.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam was the chief guest for the event held at the Japanese embassy in Dhaka.
Ambassador Iwama Kiminori was the special guest and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) President Mahbubul Alam was the guest of honour.
PARI President Yuji Ando, Vice-President Tareq Rafi Bhuiyan Jun, and Executive Director Abdullah-Al-Mamun were also present among others.
Ambassador Iwama Kiminori said PARI and similar research institutions can serve to improve ties between Japan and Bangladesh. On the other hand, new facilities will also improve Bangladesh's connections with Japan.
He said, “A common dedication to promoting peace and stability in the area and beyond characterises the relationship between the two countries.
“To do this, both countries place an emphasis on cooperation, making diplomatic efforts and working together to address regional security concerns.”
Kiminori pointed out that the connectivity and overall relationship between Japan and Bangladesh will therefore improve as a result.
In his speech, State Minister Shahriar Alam urged the Japanese government to help Bangladesh further with the repatriation of Rohingya people in Myanmar. “Japan is our development friend. We have very clear objectives to go forward. We want a cooperative and strong partnership with the country.”
Shahriar appreciated PARI leaders for taking positive initiative.
PARI aspires to do research and analysis on a whole gamut of socio-economic, politico-business, bilateral and multilateral diplomatic issues, including but not limited to strengthening C2C (country-to-country), G2G (government-to-government), and B2B (business-to-business) ties.
The research institute also focuses microscopically on the changed geopolitical reality of the Pan-Asia region.
