Tokyo: Punjab’s first female Chief Minister, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, met with Tokyo’s Deputy Governor Akiko Matsumoto in Japan’s capital, Tokyo, to discuss bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Japan, women’s leadership, urban development, and other key issues.
Deputy Governor Akiko congratulated Maryam Nawaz Sharif on becoming the first female Chief Minister of Punjab, calling it a significant milestone. In response, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz congratulated Deputy Governor Akiko on her 35 years of service and being Tokyo’s first female Deputy Governor.
Both women leaders agreed that women’s leadership is a shared value in both Pakistan and Japan, and they committed to expanding mutual ties to promote women’s empowerment and leadership in the future.
The meeting also focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation in various sectors, including:
Urban development
Infrastructure
Renewable energy
Clean water supply
Maryam Nawaz expressed her desire to benefit from Japan’s advanced technology and environmental management. She noted that projects like “Clean Punjab” could be expanded following the model of Tokyo’s “Clean Authority.”
She also briefed the Deputy Governor on ongoing initiatives aimed at making Punjab greener, providing quality transportation services, and empowering women.
Maryam Nawaz praised Japan as a beautiful blend of progress and ethical values and stated that Pakistan could achieve significant improvements by adopting Japanese models in multiple sectors.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen Pakistan-Japan relations.
Earlier, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif received a warm welcome upon her arrival at the Tokyo Metropolitan Office.
