Japan to Set Up Representation Office in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2016

Referring to the economic and political developments in the Kurdistan Region during the last decade, the Ambassador stressed that the Government of Japan will open a representation office in the Kurdistan Region, according to Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) foreign relations department.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Japan is set to open its representation office in the Kurdistan autonomous region of Iraq in 2016, Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) foreign relations department said in a press release on Monday.

Japanese Ambassador to Iraq Fumio Iwai announced Tokyo's decision during a meeting between KRG Foreign Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir, according the press release.

"Referring to the economic and political developments in the Kurdistan Region during the last decade, the Ambassador stressed that the Government of Japan will open a representation office in the Kurdistan Region next year," the press release said.

In February, the Japanese government decided to provide some 276 million in low-interest loans to assist Iraqi Kurdistan in improving its infrastructure.

In 2009, Japan International Cooperation Agency was established in the Kurdistan Region to provide development support aimed at improving local residents’ living standard by means of technical cooperation, soft loan and grant aid assistance in cooperation with KRG.

Iraqi Kurdistan, governed by KRG, is an autonomous region of Iraq, bordering Iran, Turkey and Syria.