Japan needs to constantly examine the contents of its official development assistance, but a large-scale reduction in ODA spending could jeopardize relations with Asian countries, Foreign Minister Yohei Kono said Wednesday.
Kono, who was reappointed Tuesday to the post that he has held since October 1999, said Japan's ODA has played "a major role" in helping develop Asian countries.
"We should recognize the (positive) effect of the ODA and think of meaningful ways to use taxpayers' money," Kono said in an interview with The Japan Times.
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