Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's policy speech in the Diet next week will focus on the significance of sending the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq and his resolve to privatize postal services, government sources said Sunday.
Koizumi's address will come on Jan. 19, the opening day of the regular legislative session.
He will say that sending SDF personnel to Iraq for reconstruction aid is indispensable for "Japan to fulfill its responsibility as a member of the international community," according to the sources.
He is expected to justify his decision for the dispatch by saying it conforms with the spirit of the preamble to the war-renouncing Constitution and that the United Nations has asked its members for assistance in rebuilding Iraq.
Koizumi will seek Diet approval for sending the SDF because the troops can conduct humanitarian relief activities while coping with the possible danger in Iraq. He will also emphasize safety considerations for the troops.
On postal privatization, Koizumi will indicate his unwavering resolve to continue the process and reiterate that a detailed plan should be ready by autumn.