His Eminence the Grand Ayatollah Al-Najafi (may Allah prolong his life) welcomed His Excellency the Japanese Ambassador to Baghdad, Mr. Matsumoto Futoshi, and his accompanying delegation.

During the meeting, His Eminence the Grand Ayatollah Al-Najafi (may Allah prolong his life) stressed the importance of expanding the areas of cooperation between the Republic of Iraq and the State of Japan and consolidating relations on more than one level.

His Eminence the Grand Ayatollah Al-Najafi (may Allah prolong his life) welcomed Japan's efforts to develop economic and commercial cooperation with Iraq, pointing to the importance of developing and expanding it to serve the two friendly countries.

For his part, His Excellency the Ambassador pointed out, saying: I learned a lot today to thank His Eminence the Grand Ayatollah Al-Najafi (may Allah prolong his life) for the kind welcome.

On the same level, the representative of His Eminence the Grand Ayatollah Al-Najafi (may Allah prolong his life), His Eminence Sheikh Ali Al-Najafi welcomed in his office, His Excellency Mr. Futoshi, where they discussed the importance of dialogue between the eminent scholars of thought and civilization, Iraq and the great eastern countries such as Japan.

For his part, His Eminence Sheikh Ali Al-Najafi pointed out the importance of knowledge exchange with an emphasis on the national, religious, and intellectual identities of all peoples, including Iraq, and that the position of the honorable Najaf and the great references of religion never eliminates the role of the mind, referring to the integration of the intellectual, spiritual and jurisprudence given by Muslim jurists, especially religious authorities in Najaf Al-Ashraf.

For his part, Mr. Futoshi expressed his happiness for this dialogue and meeting, and thanked the good welcoming.