PM Barzani receives top Japanese Delegation

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Tuesday received a senior Japanese delegation including Assistant Minister and Director General of the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kansuke Nagaoka, Japanese Ambassador to Iraq Futoshi Matsumoto, and representatives of a number of Japanese companies, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

The Prime Minister expressed his pleasure at the Japanese delegation's visit to the Kurdistan Region and pointed out that Japan's experience is worthy of benefit, especially through its investments in the region.

The Japanese delegation stressed that there are many more opportunities for Japanese investment in the Kurdistan Region, which has made remarkable progress in the past few years in terms of construction and reconstruction, the statement added.

Moreover, the two sides exchanged views on developing relations between the Kurdistan Region and Japan in the fields of human resources, transportation, agriculture, education, and industry.

On Nov. 5, 2022, Matsumoto announced that Japan had provided long-term loans to the Iraqi Government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with the goal to improve the electricity, water, and agriculture sectors in Iraq.

The JICA has undertaken several projects with the KRG including waterways, agriculture, and electrical infrastructure. It has also been in talks with the KRG’s Ministry of Municipalities and Tourism to amend the capital Erbil’s current master plan of renovating the entire city, including the Citadel, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Centre.