Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik met Japanese Ambassador Akamatsu Shuichi during a visit to the Geoscience Advance Research Laboratories (GARL) of the Geological Survey of Pakistan. The minister underscored the long-standing scientific partnership between Pakistan and Japan in geosciences and mineral research. He expressed appreciation for the support provided by the Japanese government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in establishing and strengthening GARL, calling it a landmark initiative in bilateral scientific cooperation.
Commitment to Modernizing the Mineral Sector
Malik stated that Pakistan is actively upgrading its mineral sector and is dedicated to replacing primitive exploration and extraction methods with advanced technologies. This shift aims to ensure sustainable development, improved productivity, and greater value addition in the mining and mineral industry. The minister emphasized the importance of adopting modern techniques to enhance efficiency and environmental responsibility.
Japan's Support for Scientific Infrastructure
The Japanese ambassador appreciated Pakistan's ongoing efforts to strengthen scientific infrastructure and reaffirmed Japan's interest in promoting technical cooperation and scientific exchange in the geoscience sector. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the current technical engagement between the Geological Survey of Pakistan and JICA. They discussed potential future collaboration in advanced analytical sciences, laboratory methodologies, scientific workflows, and technical capacity development.
Both parties reiterated their commitment to further enhancing Pakistan-Japan collaboration in the petroleum sector, with a particular focus on geosciences and mineral research. This partnership is expected to drive innovation and sustainable growth in the mineral industry, benefiting both nations.
