Tehran, Sept 5, IRNA - Japan is busily planning to send its Foreign Minister to Iran in an effort not to lag behind other countries, said a Kyodo report, citing government sources.

Based on the report, Fumio Kishida is expected to visit Iran in late October at the earliest.
�Iran has natural resources. We would like to take appropriate measures so as not to lag behind other countries,� Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a news conference on Friday.
The Japanese top diplomat, during his visit, is going to set up a bilateral committee to deal with energy and infrastructure development and other economic issues.
The move by Japan comes as Tokyo plans to keep in step with the United States and Europe in lifting economic sanctions on Iran following the July nuclear deal, officials said.
Japan is sending Kishida to meet with his counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, in hopes of setting up a joint committee at the director general level to discuss issues including finance, infrastructure-building and development of natural resources and energy, the sources said.
With sanctions on Iran gradually lifted, foreign competition for market access to Iran is expected to take momentum.
Resource-poor Japan is seeking to secure stable supplies of crude oil and natural gas from Iran.

By IRNA