Courtesy call on Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Ichiro Aisawa by Director General of Governorate of Al-Muthanna Health Department and Directors of four Hospitals in Samawa and Neighboring Areas

May 21, 2004

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1. A group of five medical doctors visiting Japan from Iraq, Dr. Baqir Alewi Rakhum Al-Tougy, Director General of Governorate of Al-Muthanna Health Department, Dr. Resoul Aziz Sahib Maala, Director of Samawa General Hospital, and the Directors of hospitals in Samawa and neighboring areas (Maternity and Children's Hospital, Al-Rumaitha General Hospital and Al-Khidhir General Hospital), paid a courtesy call on Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Ichiro Aisawa
   
   
2. Firstly Senior Vice-Minister Aisawa stated as follows:
   "I would like to express my deepest respect to all of you for working so hard to improve the medical care of the people of Al-Muthanna in such difficult circumstances. Japan is providing reconstruction assistance to Iraq through human and financial contributions and I would be glad if the experience of Japan were useful to Iraq. I am happy that the activities of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) carrying out humanitarian reconstruction assistance in Samawa have gained the understandings of the local people and members of the SDF are building friendly relations with them. Furthermore, I believe that the safe release of the Japanese hostages in the recent hostage-taking incident was in large part due to the friendly feelings the people of Iraq have for Japan."
   
   
3. Following this, Director General Baqir Alewi Rakhum Al-Tougy stated as follows:
   "We would like to express our deepest appreciation for your invitation to visit Japan, a country of peace, and to Senior Vice-Minister Aisawa for taking the time to meet us. We are grateful for the assistance being provided by the SDF which we regard as both urgent and necessary."
   
   (Reply to a question about the security situation in Samawa.)
   
   "Samawa is a peaceful and stable city. We believe that all of the people in Samawa feel that they must protect the members of the SDF and that the SDF and the people of Samawa are building an extremely good relationship."
   
   
4. Director General Baqir Alewi Rakhum Al-Tougy stated that it would be appreciated if Japan could continue to provide assistance with the provision of urgently needed medicines and medical equipment. In response, Senior Vice-Minister Aisawa stated that Japan would consider what kinds of cooperation Japan could provide to Iraq and urged the visiting doctors to consult thoroughly with related organizations while in Japan.
   
   
5. Finally the meeting came to a close with discussion of the participation of the Iraqi National Football Team in the Olympics and other topics.