Minister Cheema invites JICA to join financing of the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project alongside the ADBA delegation led by President of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Dr Tanaka Akihiko called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. PHOTO: PMOPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday called for expanded cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in skills development, mineral exploration and support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), saying Pakistan's ongoing economic reforms had laid the foundation for sustainable growth. PM Shehbaz said Pakistan had overcome difficult economic challenges through "teamwork" and was now rapidly implementing reforms aimed at achieving sustainable economic growth. The prime minister said providing young people with skills, technical training and dignified employment opportunities, alongside women's empowerment, remained among the government's top priorities. According to the PMO, Dr Akihiko said future cooperation would be aligned with the development priorities of both the federal and provincial governments.