The Japanese government expressed willingness to allocate $6.9 billion to fund five projects in Iran to further expand bilateral relations between the two countries.
"Tokyo is going to continue its assistance of up to 40 billion Japanese Yen annually for the next four years starting in 2017," the Japanese embassy in Tehran said on a press release.
The embassy noted that the allocation of the aid was confirmed in the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan in October 2016 and will be extended through international organizations and UN bodies.
"The projects include a contribution of one million dollars through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to restore Lake Oroumiyeh, approximately two million dollars in humanitarian aid assistance for the Afghan refugees through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) program, around $1.9 million funneled through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to be used on border controls, fighting drugs, customs cooperation and money laundering, $500,000 to promote integration of industries in Chabahar port city in the Persian Gulf through a program to be implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and finally $1.5 million in donated funds funneled through the International Committee of the Red Cross for emergency activities in Iran.
In relevant remarks in early December, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a meeting with Head of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Hiroyuki Ishige called for boosting trade exchanges between the two countries.
"We want development of economic relations between Iran and Japan," Zarif said.
He pointed to the role of banking cooperation between Iran and Japan on the expansion of bilateral relations in other economic and trade areas, and said, "Tehran wants Tokyo to play a more active role in Iran."
Zarif pointed to the good relations between Iran and Japan, and said, "The trade institutes are the engine of Tehran-Tokyo economic relations."
The head of JETRO, for his part, said that with removal of Irans sanctions, the ground is now ready for rise in Japanese companies investment and trade activities in Iran.
"JETRO supports promotion of Japanese companies activities in Iran," he noted.
Zarif and Ishige explored avenues for boost of JETO presence in Iran.
Source: FARS - Date: (08 February 2017)