Japan is expected to send a business delegation to Iran as early as Monday to explore opportunities there. Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida visited Iran in October and struck an investment deal stipulating protection of assets of Japanese firms investing in the country, the Japanese newspaper Japan Times reported. Now that the western sanctions regime has come to an end, Tokyo is soon expected to conclude the investment pact to help Japanese firms expand into not only oil but other market segments expected to attract economic reconstruction demand, such as the automotive, high-speed rail and aircraft sectors. The Japanese government will swiftly lift sanctions on Iran based on a new UN Security Council resolution, the newspaper quoted Kishida as saying on Monday. “Japan will further strengthen the historically friendly relationship with Iran,” he added. Japanese sanctions on Iran include a halt in investment in the energy field.
