Japan's Noda Commits $1B for Africa, Middle East Infra Projects
Despite Japan's soaring debts, Prime Miniters Noda's administration has boldly offered additional loans amounting to $1 billion to "Arab Spring" in North Africa and Middle East for infrastructure projects, which will ensure to yield employment opportunities and emerging industries.
In the Annual Meeting of the United Nations, Japan's Noda expressed gratitude to all nations that have assisted Japan during the disaster and introduced its future plan for neighboring countries.
Speaking before the delegates at the U.N. General Assembly on Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda pledges to continue its role in actively helping the international community as it struggles after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Through the government's official development assistance programs, Noda will continue to provide support to developing countries saying his government understands the "middle class" is the engine of economic growth, reports Kyodo News.
Noda will also deploy an engineering unit of Japan's Self-defense Forces in response to a request by the United Nations concerning the nation-building efforts in South Sudan and in maintaining peace in the region.
The prime minister also took the opportunity to thank the giant economies that extended help to Japan during the lowest point of the island.
"These bonds between Japan and the international community will be forever remembered by the Japanese," he said during the Annual Meeting promising that Japan will recover and aim for peaceful, safe, and brighter future along with the leaders gathered for the meeting.
"I am certain that such resilience, both human and technological, which does not yield in the face of enormous difficulties, will be the very source of Japan's future contribution to the international community," Kyodo News quoted the prime minister as saying.