Japan welcomed Wednesday the U.S. plan to exempt Japanese banks from being affected by new financial sanctions against Iran, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said Wednesday.
His remark came after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced that Washington plans to exempt financial institutions based in Japan and 10 European countries from a new set of financial sanctions against Iran over its suspected nuclear weapons program.
Clinton also praised past efforts by the countries to reduce Iranian oil imports.