Japan has decided to partially ease economic sanctions against Iraq for humanitarian reasons and lift sanctions against Yugoslavia due to democratic reforms there, Foreign Minister Yohei Kono said Friday.

Both actions were approved at the day's Cabinet meeting, Kono said at a regular news conference after the meeting.

Concerning Iraq, Japan will take measures to smoothly operate the United Nation's oil-for-food program, which allows Iraq to export oil for the purpose of purchasing food, medicine and other humanitarian goods, Kono said.

Japan's participation in the oil-for-food program has been scarce because of its strict ban on exports and loans to and investment in Iraq by Japanese companies. Although Japan will not completely lift the sanctions, it will make it easier to participate in the U.N. program, Kono said.

Economic sanctions against Yugoslavia were also lifted in light of the democratic transition of the government under President Vojislav Kostunica, Kono said.

Slovakia post funded

The Foreign Ministry announced Friday that Japan will establish its embassy in Slovakia in January 2002 now that funding has been approved in the final fiscal 2001 budget, which is set be endorsed by the Cabinet on Sunday.

Slovakia has been strongly calling for the establishment of the embassy and reiterated its desire when the president of Slovakia's Parliament, Jozef Migas, visited Japan earlier this month.

The Japanese Embassy in the Czech Republic currently carries out Japan's diplomatic activities for Slovakia. The establishment of a new embassy brings the total number of Japan's embassies to 116.

Kono to go on the road

Foreign Minister Yohei Kono said Friday he plans to travel to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Sweden from Jan. 7, visit Russia on Jan. 16 and 17 and return home on Jan. 18.

The visit to the Middle East is aimed at deepening political dialogue and enhancing cultural and economic exchanges with the Gulf nations in the coming century, Kono told a regular news conference after the Cabinet meeting.

"We must expand our relationship beyond our partnership in oil trade," Kono said.

During his trip to Sweden, Kono said he wants to hold trilateral talks with foreign ministers, including European Union nation ministers, to discuss expanding Japan-EU relationships.

Angolan president

Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos will make an official visit to Japan at the end of January to deepen friendly relations with Japan, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Friday.

During the Jan. 28-31 visit, dos Santos will hold talks with Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and meet the Emperor and the Empress, spokesman Ryuichiro Yamazaki said.

The 58-year-old president, who doubles as prime minister of the southwestern African country, will be accompanied by his wife, Ana Paula.

Diplomats set for quest

Japan's key ministers may be found scattered all over the globe come January -- not on their winter vacations but on a mission from Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori to pursue Tokyo's "multinational" diplomacy.

Mori urged members of his Cabinet Friday to visit nations with which their predecessors had very little contact, as well as those with which Japan has close ties, once the scheduled streamlining of government ministries and agencies is settled.

"It's a plan for ministers who can spare some time after the Jan. 6 streamlining to go to countries where they normally have had little chance to go," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said.

The prime minister will visit South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria next month, making him the nation's first prime minister to visit sub-Saharan Africa. His journey, along with a trip to Greece, forms part of the proposed worldwide diplomacy scheme, Fukuda added.

"This plan will be not only strategical, but multinational," Fukuda said.