Iraq's al-Hashemi urges Japanese firms to open branches in Iraq

Jul 2, 2008, 13:16 GMT

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.