Japanese officials said they’re better able to advance Mideast peace than are Westerners. “Japan is doing what Americans can’t do,” Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso was quoted as saying in a speech to a group of local assembly members in Nagasaki. “Japanese are trusted. If (you have) blue eyes and blond
hair, it’s probably no good,” he said. “Luckily, we Japanese have yellow faces.” As part of its recent diplomatic efforts, Japan launched plans in November to promote agricultural and industrial development in the Jordan Valley, a region shared by Jordan, Israel and the Palestinians, and hosted Jordanian, Israeli and Palestinian Authority officials in recent months.
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