Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari arrived Wednesday in Tokyo for a four-day visit during which he will meet with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and other top officials to discuss Japan's support for Iraq's reconstruction.
Zebari, who flew in from Moscow, will also discuss bilateral political and economic issues when he meets Thursday with his counterpart, Taro Aso, and Koizumi on Friday, the Foreign Ministry said.
The Iraqi minister's visit comes as Tokyo considers whether to extend its military mission in the southern Iraq city of Samawah, where about 600 Self-Defense Forces troops are carrying out water purification projects, rebuilding schools and performing other tasks under a special law passed in 2003.
The reconstruction mission expires Dec. 14, but Tokyo has yet to decide whether to extend it. Koizumi has suggested the country's assistance is not complete.
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