Japan to focus more on Afghanistan in line with U.S. policy shift

TOKYO, Feb. 28 Kyodo -
Japan plans to put more weight on Afghanistan and Pakistan in its
anti-terrorism policy in line with U.S. President Barack Obama's pledge to end
combat missions in Iraq by the end of August 2010, government officials said
Saturday.
Japan will continue its efforts to provide the $2 billion package it has
already pledged in aid to help rebuild the war-ravaged country, the officials
said, while reiterating support for Pakistan, which Tokyo considers a
''front-line state'' in fighting terrorism.
Prime Minister Taro Aso pledged extensive Japanese contributions to help
stabilize and reconstruct Afghanistan during his talks with Obama in Washington
last Tuesday. The government officials said Japan's efforts now include
participation in a policy review on support for Afghanistan.
In an effort to enhance Japan's civilian contributions, Foreign Minister
Hirofumi Nakasone in January announced a plan to send civilian officials to
engage in reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan as members of a provincial
reconstruction team led by Lithuania.
Japan will host a donor conference on support for Pakistan in April.
These plans being pushed by Tokyo come as Obama has been seeking to shift the
focus of U.S. military efforts from Iraq to Afghanistan, where Al Qaeda and the
Taliban are entrenched, in his administration's anti-terrorism policy.
A senior Foreign Ministry official said the Japanese government will continue
providing support for Iraq economically by backing Japanese businesses willing
to operate in Iraq, particularly in areas where the security situation is
relatively stable.
==Kyodo