Amman- Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi on Wednesday
urged Japanese businesses to become involded in Iraq's reconstruction
in the wake of 'security successes' achieved in the country.
Addressing the opening of the First Iraqi-Japanese Business Forum
in Amman, Al-Hashemi complaint of the current 'absence of a common
language' between private sectors in Iraqi and Japan, one of the war-
torn country's key donor nations.
'In order to ensure that Iraq accepts Japan as one of the key
buyers of its oil in future, Baghdad likes to see a strong Japanese
participation in the country's reconstruction and economic
restructuring. This will not materialize except through the presence
of Japanese firms in Iraq,' he said.
Al-Hashemi said he hoped that the four-day gathering, being
attended by more than 250 senior officials and leading businessmen
from the two countries, would come up with recommendations and plans
that pave the way for the holding of forum in Baghdad or the northern
province of Kurdistan.
The Japanese government has extended 1.3 billion dollars in
economic aid and 3.5 billion dollars as concessionary loans to Iraq.
It also waived 6.2 billion dollars of Iraq's debts through the Paris
Club of creditor countries, while the Japanese military has provided
mostly humanitarian support during the US-led invasion in 2003.
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