Sankei Shimbun: Bush calls on Japan to cancel Jordanian debts

The Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun said that US President George Bush has urged Japan to meet a request raised by Jordan to exempt it from official development loans estimated at 170 billion Japanese Yen ( USD 1.4 billion) and also to increase the Japanese donation aid provided to Jordan.

The paper quoted Japanese and American governmental sources saying that Bush conveyed this request to the Japanese prime minister when the two men met on the sideline of the G- 8 in Canada last Tuesday. Bush was also quoted that a visit to Japan next week by the Jordanian King Abdullah II aims at ensuring Japan's consent to cancel the debts and increase donation aids.

An official at the Japanese foreign ministry said Bush's interference in this matter can not be confirmed. However, he added that Jordan had asked for exempting it and that the Japanese prime minister and the Jordanian King will discuss this matter.