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Meeting between Mr. Nuri Al-Maliki, Prime Minister of Iraq, and Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs

April 11, 2007

On April 9, Mr. Nuri Al-Maliki, Prime Minister of Iraq, held talks with Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs, for about 40 minutes from 3:00 p.m.  The gist of their meeting was as follows (the meeting was attended from the Iraqi side by: Dr. Ghanim A. Al-Jumaily, Iraqi Ambassador to Japan, Mr. Husayn Al-Shahristani, Minister of Oil, and others; and from the Japanese side by: Mr. Kenjiro Monji, Japanese Ambassador to Iraq, Mr. Norihiro Okuda, Director-General of the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau, Mr. Gotaro Ogawa, Ambassador in charge of Reconstruction Assistance to Iraq, and others).
 

  1. At the talks opinions were exchanged on Japan-Iraq relations including Japan’s efforts for reconstruction assistance to Iraq and the situation in Iraq.

  2. On Japan-Iraq relations, Mr. Aso expressed his appreciation to Mr. Maliki for having visited Japan as his second overseas destination following the United States, other than Iraq’s neighbors.  Mr. Maliki expressed his gratitude for Japan’s assistance already extended to Iraq, such as activities by Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force Units in the Al-Muthanna province and added that the fact that many cabinet ministers (Mr. Husayn Al-Shahristani, Minister of Oil, Mr. Karim Wahid Al-Hasan, Minister of Electricity, Mr. Riyadh Gharib, Minister of Municipalities and Public Works, Mr. Fawzi Al-Hariri, Minister of Industry and Minerals, and Mr. Rafi Al-Issawi, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs) were accompanying him on this trip, following the recent visits by other high-ranking officials of Iraq, including the visit of Vice President Tariq Al-Hashimi, indicates Iraq’s expectation of Japan.

  3. Mr. Al-Maliki explained how much effort has currently been made on such issues as the eradication of terrorism, recovery of security, economic reform and national reconciliation.  He also stated his views on how Japan-Iraq partnership should be built and especially how the economic relationship should be strengthened.  In response, Mr. Aso said that he hoped Iraq would surmount these problems and that Japan’s commitment to the reconstruction of Iraq remains unwavering.
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