KURDISTAN NEWSLINE
August 20,
2003
Kurdish leader Talabani concludes official visit to
Japan
Tokyo, Aug. 19 -- Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan's Secretary-General Jalal Talabani today
concluded his official visit to Japan. Talabani, a
member of the Presidential Committee of the Iraqi
Governing Council was continuing on an international
diplomatic tour after visiting Moscow, Paris, Rome
and most recently China.
During his visit to Tokyo, arranged by Peace Winds
Japan, (a Japanese NGO that has been operating in
Kurdistan since March 1996), Japans Chief Cabinet
Secretary, the number two in the Japanese cabinet
Mr. Yasuo Fukuda warmly received Mr. Talabani and
his delegation which included Ms. Hero Ibrahim
Ahmed, Director of the Kurdistan Children’s Fund,
and senior PUK officials, Omer Said Ali and Jalal
Jawher Aziz, as well as Qubad Talabani.
On
the same day the delegation also met with Japans
Foreign Minister Madame Yuriko Kawaguchi.
During the discussions, both Mr. Fukuda and Ms.
Kawaguchi reaffirmed Japans commitment
to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Iraq and
Iraqi Kurdistan. They affirmed that Japan, being an
important member of the coalition would play an
important role in the reconstruction of Iraq’s
devastated infrastructure, as well as seek to
provide humanitarian relief to the people of Iraq.
PUK
leader Jalal Talabani briefing Japans No.2 Mr.
Fukuda on the situation in Iraq
The
upcoming deployment of the Japanese Self Defense
Force for humanitarian missions in Iraq was a key
talking point on the agenda, as was the general
security situation in Iraq. Mr. Talabani stated
that the Kurdish people and the people of Iraq in
general would welcome the participation of Japan in
the country’s reconstruction. He added that the
Kurdish people highly appreciate the government of
Japan’s stance
during the liberation of Iraq, as well as its
support for the activities of NGO’s like PWJ in
providing humanitarian assistance to the Kurdish
people over the years. He said “The Kurds
remember the friends that helped them during the
dark days, the days while dictatorship was in power,
and we look forward to strengthening the
relationship between he Kurdish people on all
levels, politically, economically and culturally”.
Madame Kawaguchi stressed the importance of moving
forward with the development of the Governing
Council in Baghdad and expressed her satisfaction at
the latest UNSCR 1500, welcoming the formation of
the Governing Council. She expressed her hopes that
in the near future there would be the formation of a
government for the people of Iraq, by the people of
Iraq.
At a
press conference hosted by The Foreign
Correspondents Club of Japan, The
Kurdish leader spoke of recent developments in Iraq
including the formation of the Iraqi Governing
Council as well as focusing on the security
situation in Iraq. He stressed that foreign forces
that are against the values of democracy and civil
liberties are carrying out the attacks on coalition
forces and on Iraq’s infrastructure and the majority
of the Iraqi people condemns such attacks. Talabani
said “The majority of the problems lie in the
predominantly Sunni triangle, south of Balad, to the
west part of Baghdad and out to Falujah and other
parts of Western Iraq. Certainly in Iraqi Kurdistan,
and also Arab inhabited parts of the North of Iraq,
as well as the south of Iraq, the situation is calm
and for the most part secure”.
Mr.
Talabani (second from right) at a press conference
in Tokyo
During the five-day visit, Mr. Talabani and the
delegation met with senior officials from the
Ministry of Energy Trade and Industry as well
as prominent Japanese parliamentarians Mr. Yasuhisa
Shiozaki and Mr. Tooyomata, where the role of Japan
in post conflict reconstruction and potential trade
involvement were discussed.
On
Tuesday 19th of July Mr. Talabani
accompanied by Omer Said Ali, Jalal Jawher and Qubad
Talabani left Tokyo to Australia, at the invitation
of the Australian Government where they will be
holding a series of meetings with Australian
officials including the Foreign Minster The
Honorable Alexander Downer.
