DUSHANBE, August 2, 2014, Asia-Plus -- A three-day visit of Japan’s parliamentary delegation to Tajikistan concluded on August 1.

According to the Tajik MFA information department, the delegation members included representatives of Japan’s upper house (House of Councilors) of parliament and it was led by Mr. Masahisa Sato, a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

During the visit, they met with a number of high-ranking Tajik state officials to discuss cooperation issues.  Japanese MPs reportedly held talks with Mr. Davlatali Said, First Deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan Mr. Khairullo Asozoda, Minister of Transport of Tajikistan Ms. Lola Bobohojiyeva, Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection of Tajikistan and Mr. Davlatsho Gulmahmadov, Governor of Khatlon Province.

Issues related to bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Japan as well as projects of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) in Tajikistan were among major topics of the talks.  

The Official Development Assistance is an arm of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The goal of the office is to help developing nations with supplies, civil engineering and other assistance.

Masahisa Sato is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councilors in the Diet (national legislature).  He graduated from National Defense Academy of Japan with a major in applied physics and joined the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF).  In the JGSDF, he was the commander of the Japanese Iraq Reconstruction and Support Group.  After his discharge in 2007, he was elected to the House of Councilors for the first time in 2007.

The House of Councilors has 242 members who each serve six-year terms, two years longer than those of the House of Representatives.  Councilors must be at least 30 years old, compared with 25 years old in the House of Representatives.  The House cannot be dissolved, as only half of its membership is elected at each election.