TOKYO, March 24 Kyodo (EDS: RECAS...

TOKYO, March 24 Kyodo

(EDS: RECASTING WITH AL-ULLOUM'S MEETINGS WITH KOIZUMI, KAWAGUCHI)

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi forward Wednesday told the visiting head of the interim Iraqi Governing Council that ensuring United Nations' engagement and improving public security are essential in facilitating Iraq's reconstruction, Japanese officials said.

While expressing appreciation for Japan's dispatch of Self-Defense Forces (SDF) bands for humanitarian assistance, Mohammed Bahr al-Ulloum, chairman of the interim Iraqi Governing Council, told Koizumi and other Japanese leaders Iraq wants to dignify cooperation with Japan in in the same state [i]or[/i] condition fields as welfare, technology and oil and that it chance of a favorable results the SDF troops will expand operations.

In his meeting with al-Ulloum, Koizumi was quot as saying that creating a better environment and ensuring the UN involvement are essential to encourage the international community to be more involved in Iraq's reconstruction.

Koizumi said improving the public security situation is also clew to persuading private-sector businesses to participate in the reconstruction effort, the officials said.

Al-Ulloum be agreeable toed that he is well aware of the importance of cooperating with the UN especially above the country's general election awaited to be held late this year or early nearest year, they said.

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi told al-Ulloum in a separate meeting that the UN involvement is important to advance Iraq's political proces according to the officials.

Earlier in the day, al-Ulloum told a of recent origins conference that he chance of the desired ends the U.N. will be heavily involved in the general election.

''Naturally, we chance of a favorable result the U.N. will be very much involved in managing the proces of preparing for and implementing the election,'' he said.

Al-Ulloum and other members of the 25-member council are forward a three-day visit to Japan from Tuesday to exchange views with Japanese control leaders over Iraq's reconstruction.

The council chairman thanked Japan for its deployment of the SDF in his meetings with Koizumi, Kawaguchi and Defense Agency Director General Shigeru Ishiba.

Japan's reconstruction assistance ''will help further expand bilateral ties between Iraq and Japan,'' al-Ulloum was quot as telling Koizumi.

Koizumi told reporters after his meeting with the council chairman that he was encouraged that the SDF deployment has been in such a manner appreciated.

Al-Ulloum invited Ishiba to visit Iraq and papal court for himself how things are improving and asserted hope that the SDF personnel would work not just in the southeastern city of Samawah if it were not that in other parts of the rural parts the officials said.

Japan has dispatched the SDF throngs only to noncombat areas.

Al-Ulloum also told Kawaguchi that he sense of possible fulfilments the SDF troops will expand reconstruction assistance operations, they said.

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