JAPAN: TALKING POINTS ON U.S. POLICY IN IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 000485 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/2019 TAGS: PREL EAID MOPS IZ JA SUBJECT: JAPAN: TALKING POINTS ON U.S. POLICY IN IRAQ DELIVERED REF: A. STATE 18283 ¶B. TOKYO 247 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires James P. Zumwalt for reasons 1.4(b) an d (d) ¶1. (C) Charge delivered Ref A points March 2 to MOFA Director General for North American Affairs Kazuyoshi Umemoto. Umemoto was grateful to receive the points and noted that Japan has begun to pursue the "next phase" of its relationship with Iraq, which will focus on building commercial relationships. Former Prime Minister Abe was in Iraq January 29 (Ref B) as a Special Envoy to sign a "Declaration on Establishing a Comprehensive Partnership between the Government of the Republic of Iraq and the Government of Japan," and on March 1, a Japanese business delegation, led by Ambassador in Charge of Reconstruction Assistance to Iraq Gotaro Ogawa and consisting of MOFA and METI officials and private business representatives, began a visit to Baghdad. The delegation is to meet with Prime Minister Maliki and Vice President Hashimi and will exchange views with other high-level Iraqi officials. ¶2. (C) In addition, Japan recently announced that it will open a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) office in Erbil (Ref B). On February 22 through March 1, Yaseen Ahmed Abbas, President of the Iraqi Red Crescent and manager in the Ministry of Health Training Center led a government survey mission for technology and science to Tokyo to examine possible avenues for business-academic collaboration. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: Japan plans to remain engaged closely with Iraq, focusing on potential investments in the petroleum sector and other commercial opportunities. However, visits and exchanges may suffer a slow-down following the pending departure later this month of Iraq's Ambassador to Japan, Ghanim Al-Jumaily, for his new assignment as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Ambassador Jumaily has been an active and effective promoter of the Iraq-Japan relationship. A long gap between the arrival of a new ambassador, or the appointment by Baghdad of a less effective ambassador, will likely hinder the development of Japan-Iraq ties. END COMMENT. ZUMWALT