ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik met with the Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, Akamatsu Shuichi, during his visit to the Geoscience Advanced Research Laboratories (GARL) of the Geological Survey of Pakistan.
The Minister highlighted the longstanding scientific cooperation between Pakistan and Japan in the field of geosciences and mineral research.
During the visit, the Minister appreciated the valuable support extended by the Government of Japan and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the establishment and strengthening of GARL, describing it as a landmark scientific cooperation initiative between the two countries.
Ali Pervaiz Malik stated that Pakistan was actively upgrading its mineral sector and was committed to replacing primitive exploration and extraction methods with advanced technologies to ensure sustainable development, improved productivity, and greater value addition in the mining and mineral industry.
A short documentary showcasing the history, evolution, modernisation, and present capabilities of GARL was screened on the occasion, followed by a visit to various laboratory sections and interaction with scientists of the Geological Survey of Pakistan.
The Japanese Ambassador appreciated the continued efforts of Pakistan in strengthening scientific infrastructure and reaffirmed Japan’s interest in promoting technical cooperation and scientific exchange in the geoscience sector.
Both sides expressed satisfaction over the ongoing technical engagement between GSP and JICA regarding possible future cooperation in advanced analytical sciences, laboratory methodologies, scientific workflows, and technical capacity development, and reiterated their commitment to further enhancing Pakistan-Japan collaboration in the petroleum sector, especially geosciences and mineral research.
