Foreign ministry official, Japan’s envoy discuss Arbil forum

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Labid Abawi discussed with Japanese ambassador in Baghdad Shoji Ogawa means to render a success the 2 nd Iraq-Japan Business Forum, scheduled in the northern Iraq city of Arbil early next year, according to a ministry release on Sunday. “Abawi and Ogawa discussed future ties between the two countries and the means to render a success the 2nd Iraq-Japan Business Forum,” read the statement as received by IraqiNews.com. It quoted Abawi as saying that Iraq “is ready to set the stage for the success of the forum in a way securing Japanese firms’ participation in reconstruction projects, particularly in vital domains like oil, energy and power”. For his part, Ogawa said Baghdad, on the sidelines on the event, will see “important visits and meetings by Japanese high-level officials and representatives of private sector companies with the aim of getting acquainted with improved security and political conditions in the country and the means to carry out proposed investment projects in Iraq”. AmR (P) 1