By SKM
May 18, 2026
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan and Japan have reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation in petroleum development, geosciences, and mineral research. The renewed alliance aims to accelerate Pakistan’s transition toward advanced, technology-driven resource exploration.
The agreement was underscored during a high-profile visit on Tuesday, when Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik hosted the Japanese Ambassador, Akamatsu Shuichi, at the Geoscience Advance Research Laboratories (GARL) of the Geological Survey of Pakistan. The meeting served as a strategic platform to review ongoing joint initiatives and map out future scientific exchanges between the two nations.
During the visit, Minister Malik highlighted the decades-long scientific collaboration that underpins the bilateral relationship. He described the establishment and continuous strengthening of GARL as a landmark example of successful cooperation, heavily supported by the Government of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The facility remains central to Pakistan’s efforts to modernize its geological infrastructure.
Addressing the delegation, the petroleum minister emphasized that Pakistan is aggressively overhauling its approach to natural resources. “Pakistan is actively modernizing its mineral sector and moving away from primitive exploration and extraction techniques toward advanced technologies that ensure sustainability, efficiency, and greater value addition,” Malik said, signaling a decisive shift toward international standards.
As part of the diplomatic engagement, officials screened a documentary showcasing the history, recent modernization, and present-day capabilities of the research laboratories. The Japanese delegation then toured multiple laboratory sections, where Ambassador Akamatsu interacted directly with the scientists and technical experts driving the facility’s analytical research.
Ambassador Akamatsu praised Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its scientific and research infrastructure. He reaffirmed Japan’s strong interest in expanding technical cooperation and fostering deeper scientific exchange in the geosciences sector, noting the strategic importance of robust analytical capabilities in resource management.
Both sides expressed total satisfaction with the ongoing engagement between the Geological Survey of Pakistan and JICA. Discussions focused on scaling up partnerships in advanced analytical sciences, laboratory methodologies, scientific workflows, and technical capacity development to ensure Pakistani technicians are equipped with cutting-edge expertise.
The high-level meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to further deepen the Pakistan-Japan partnership in both the petroleum and mineral research sectors. The event was attended by senior officials from the Petroleum Division, the Geological Survey of Pakistan, the Embassy of Japan, and the JICA Pakistan Office, signaling strong institutional backing for the alliance. Ends
