Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso came to Baghdad on a surprise visit Thursday, bringing with him a 3.5 billion yen (US$29 million; ¤23 million) loan to jump-start Iraq's economic development. Aso, who is the first Japanese minister to visit the Iraqi capital since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, said his country will continue to support Iraq's reconstruction despite pulling out its troops. Japan had based 600 non-combat troops in the southern Iraqi city of Samawah for 2 1/2 years until their withdrawal last month. The Japanese government is «offering its help in several ways such as giving soft loans in Japanese yen with the value of 3.5 billion yen to improve the infrastructure and economic activities,» Aso said, speaking through an Arabic interpreter. «The Japanese government will continue to support the Iraqis in the reconstruction. Our support has entered the second phase,» he told reporters at a news conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. Zebari said he and Aso discussed «the best ways to benefit» from the Japanese loan. He did not elaborate. «We thank the Japan government for its help. Iraqis will not forget those who stood with them during the difficult times and they will give compensations in the future,» Zebari was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. «The Japanese support to Iraq is a kind of investment in the future relations between the two countries,» he said. Japan's Kyodo News agency quoted unidentified government officials as saying that Aso was to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other senior official to discuss economic aid and security. Foreign Ministry officials in Japan and Iraq have refused to provide his schedule and travel details. However, Kyodo said Aso would leave Iraq by the end of the day and return to Japan via Kuwait. Aso's talks here also were expected to include expanding airlift operations that Japan's air force is running between Kuwait and Baghdad, Kyodo reported. The operation recently was stepped up following the withdrawal of ground troops. Speaking in Tokyo, Chief Cabinet spokesman Shinzo Abe described the situation in Baghdad as «severe» but said it does not fit the definition of a combat zone under Japanese law, meaning Japan's air force can continue its humanitarian operations there. «I do not think the area where the Air Self-Defense Forces will be carrying out their activities is a combat zone as defined in Japan's terrorism act,» he told reporters Thursday.
