JICA to continue technical support programs, soft loans for Iraq

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Sunday said it would continue its economic development support and its soft loan programs in Iraq, particularly in the electricity and water sectors. “JICA President Sadako Ogata visited Baghdad on October 10, 11 and exchanged points of views on development needs in Iraq with Iraqi officials, including Premier Nouri al-Maliki, Deputy PM Rafie al-Issawi and Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari,” the Japanese embassy in Baghdad said in exclusive statements to IraqiNews.com news agency. “It was her first visit to Iraq after 2003,” the embassy explained. On the sidelines of the meetings, the Japanese ambassador to Iraq, Shoji Ogawa, expressed his government’s intention to provide 87,840 billion yen in soft loans to finance electricity generation and water supply projects in the country, the statement added. SS (P)/SR 1