Japan will take “concrete steps” to reduce its oil dependency on Iran, its finance minister has announced.
The comments from Jun Azumi came after he met US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in Tokyo.
Mr Geithner is seeking backing from China and Japan for stricter sanctions on Iran’s oil industry in a bid to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
On Wednesday he raised the issue with Chinese leaders in Beijing, but did not get the same public support.
“In the past five years, we have reduced… the amount of oil imported (from Iran),” Mr Azumi said during a joint press conference with Mr Geithner.
“We wish to take planned and concrete steps to further reduce this share, which now stands at 10%.”
