Japan to Appoint Envoy on Afghanistan, Pakistan

WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Daily Times): Japan on Tuesday said it would soon appoint a special envoy on Afghan and Pakistani affairs to join Washington's efforts to review its policies.

Prime Minister Taro Aso, who became the first foreign leader to meet US President Barack Obama at the White House, would name Japan's Ambassador to Spain Motohide Yoshikawa, as the envoy, a senior Japanese official said.

Yoshikawa and Sadako Ogata, president of Japan International Cooperation Agency, would visit US special envoy Richard Holbrooke in the near future, said the official. The move came as Japan prepared to host a donor conference for Pakistan as part of Tokyo's efforts to help bring stability to the region.