Japan is to lift its economic sanctions this week imposed on Pakistan and India after the two nations conducted nuclear weapons tests in 1998, a newspaper said Tuesday.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is expected to announce the removal on Friday after gaining approval from his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the evening edition of the Asahi Shimbun said.
The move is part of Japan's efforts to support Islamabad, which is struggling to cope with a flood of refugees following US bombing attacks in Afghanistan, the daily said.
Koizumi said Tuesday his government was now considering lifting sanctions imposed on the two countries, but stopped short of confirming further details.
"We have taken economic sanctions against Pakistan because of its nuclear tests, but all the same we need to consider economic support," Koizumi told a parliament session.
"We also have to consider our stance to India," Koizumi said. "We will take a decision from a broad perspective."
The newspaper said former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori was scheduled to visit India to hold talks with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, while Pakistan's finance minister is to visit Japan to seek further Japanese aid.
Last week Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf called on Koizumi to boost Japan's financial support, including a debt waiver, and to lift the economic sanctions.
Koizumi vowed to continue backing Pakistan but showed no intention of waiving its loans to the debt-ridden country or clarifying the timing for its removal of the sanctions.
Last month, Japan said it would reschedule 550 million dollars of Pakistan's debt in recognition of Islamabad's support for the international war on terrorism -- Tokyo, (AFP)
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