TOKYO: Japan approved sanctions on Tuesday against Libya, including an assets freeze and travel ban against several regime leaders, in line with a UN resolution agreed last month, officials said. Prime Minister Naoto Kan's cabinet decided to immediately freeze any assets held in Japan by regime leader Moamer Qadhafi and five others, and ban them and 10 others from entering and leaving Japan. The UN Security Council, with strong support from Arab and African nations, on February 26 unanimously passed sanctions against the Qadhafi regime with the aim of stopping a crackdown on anti-government forces.
"Under the sanction, Japan will freeze the assets of Qadhafi and his family members," said a foreign ministry official, adding that the ministry was now trying to ascertain what assets if any they hold in Japan. The measures approved by Japan also technically include "a ban on arms imports from Libya," the Japanese foreign ministry official told AFP. "This is a move in line with the UN Security Council resolution."
Trade between Japan and Libya is relatively small, and Japan imports no crude oil from the North African country. Japan's imports from Libya totalled 200 million yen ($2.4 million) including tuna, while exports, including cars, electrical appliances and steel pipes, reached 22.5 billion yen in 2009.
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