Lukman Faily, who was appointed Iraq's ambassador to Japan in June, says his mission is to expand Japanese investment in his country and build a long-term commercial relationship between the two countries.
During a courtesy visit Tuesday to The Japan Times, Faily said Japan can be a good market and economic partner for Iraq, in view of Tokyo's engagement in the country's rehabilitation projects and the history of Japanese firms' involvement in building oil refineries in Iraq in the 1970s and '80s.
He stressed that Japanese companies should be more on the ground in Iraq and get returns on their investment, which, he said, a lot of Chinese and South Korean companies have done. "With your trustworthy work ethics and perfectionism, (Japanese firms) should be more investigative and ambitious," he said.
Faily said that although Iraq is not known for tranquillity, "there is no reason for Iraq, with its rich history and resources, why we cannot prosper and have a peaceful society. . . . There is no reason why we cannot live in harmony with others." He noted that 14 delegates from different ministries in the Iraqi government took part in the COP10 U.N. biodiversity conference held in October.
The assignment in Tokyo is Faily's first overseas diplomatic mission.
