Japan will sponsor sports in Iraq as part of its commitment to helping to rebuild the war-battered nation, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said on Thursday.
Koizumi made the promise to a delegation from the National Olympic Committee of Iraq, in Tokyo seeking assistance to improve their nation’s ageing sports infrastructure, a Japanese official said.
The Japanese prime minister pledged to provide an unspecified amount of support for sports and culture in Iraq, telling the committee’s president that sports could ”nurture the spirit of cooperation” among nations, Foreign Ministry official Akiko Saito said.
The Iraqi delegation was led by Ahmed al-Sammarai, president of Iraq’s Olympic committee.
Japan has already offered $1,5-billion in grants and $3,5-billion in loans to help pay for reconstruction in Iraq.
Koizumi has also sent about 500 Japanese troops to repair roads and supply water to communities in southern Iraq. — Sapa-AP