Japan vows to help Iraq’s displaced, open Erbil mission

By Muayad al-Tarfi

BAGHDAD

The Japanese government has earmarked $240 million for helping displaced families in Iraq and to open a diplomatic mission in Erbil, the Kurdish Regional Government’s administrative capital, according to Fumio Iwai, Japan’s ambassador to Iraq.

Iwai’s assertions came at a recent meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari during which the two discussed bilateral relations, according to a Wednesday statement issued by Iraq’s Foreign Ministry.

At the meeting, al-Jaafari said that Iraq looked forward to an active Japanese role in supporting the war-weary country’s economy and bolstering investment.

Iwai, for his part, stressed his country’s support for Iraq in the ongoing fight against terrorism.

Japan, he asserted, was willing to help Iraq deal with its current displacement crisis by way of a $240-million grant aimed at providing "basic supplies for displaced families and the reconstruction of areas liberated [from Daesh]".

Iwai went on to state that Japan also planned to open a "consular section" in Erbil with a view to "strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries," according to the Foreign Ministry statement.

Late last month, Iwai visited Iraq’s Shia-majority Najaf and Karbala provinces, where he met with Najaf Governor Luai al-Yassiri and Karbala Governor Aqeel al-Turaihi, with whom he discussed "means of enhancing the two provinces’ relations with Japan", according to the official website of the Japanese embassy in Iraq.