US sanctions against Iran have created obstacles in the way of cooperation between Iran and Japan to implement new projects," said the Japanese Ambassador to Tehran Ikawa Kazutoshi.

The ambassador also praised Iran's efforts to host three million Afghan refugees, saying: "Studies show that a significant number of the refugees live in Khuzestan province."
Referring to the cooperation between Iran and Japan in the economy, Ikawa said: "Imam Khomeini Petrochemical Complex is one of the clear examples of the cooperation that after the Iran-Iraq war, developed significantly."