The government is expected to triple its annual civilian support to Afghanistan to $1 billion as it ends the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean supporting antiterrorism interdictions, top aid official Sadako Ogata said.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama should focus assistance on agriculture and urban development, said Ogata, president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
His decision to stop refueling naval vessels in support of U.S.-led forces won't harm American ties, she said in a recent interview.
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