The United States has high expectations of Japan's role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan after Taliban rule ends, and Tokyo should engage in the peace process from an early stage, former Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Shunji Yanai said.
In an interview with The Japan Times this week, Yanai stressed that Japan should make peace process initiatives to augment its financial contributions to Afghanistan's reconstruction.
"The U.S. wants Japan to help in the Afghan reconstruction process . . . but I have told a number of U.S. officials that they can't just ask us for money for reconstruction, but we will commit ourselves from the peace process stage," said Yanai, who returned to Tokyo in late October.