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.