Japan-Iraq Relations
Courtesy Call on H.E. Dr. Barham Salih, President of the Republic of Iraq
August 21, 2021
On August 21th, commencing at 3:30 p.m. (local time, 9:30 p.m.JST) for 30 minutes, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, paid a courtesy call on H.E. Dr. Barham SALIH, President of the Republic of Iraq, during his visit to Iraq. The overview is as follows.
- At the outset, Minister Motegi stated that it is a pleasure to visit Iraq as it is the first time in 15 years for the Foreign Minister of Japan to visit Iraq, and the first time since 2003 from his last visit as Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs.While mentioning that Japan and Iraq celebrated the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2019, Minister Motegi stated that he would like to continue to develop the bilateral relations in a wide range of areas. In response, President Salih expressed his gratitude for Japan’s various supports and his willingness to further strengthen the relationship with Japan.
- Minister Motegi stated that he appreciates the Government of Iraq’s reform efforts and stated that Japan looks to support Iraq's reform efforts together with the international community, and then announced the plans to provide the "Basra Refinery Upgrading Project (Phase 3)" Yen loan project (maximum amount of 32.7 billion yen). Both sides also discussed measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and means to improve the business and investment environment in Iraq.
- Minister Motegi introduced Japan's views toward the realization of "Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)" and stated that he was confident that the principles set out in the vision would contribute to the development of the Middle East. In response, President Salih said that its principle is important and expressed his willingness to cooperate with Japan to realize FOIP.
- Moreover, both sides also exchanged views on the recent situations in the Middle East and Afghanistan.