Japan's finance minister expressed concern Wednesday about the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions on Iran and their potential impact on Japanese banks.
Jun Azumi's comments came as a delegation U.S. government officials began talks with Japanese counterparts about the sanctions targeting Iran's oil industry in a bid to thwart what Western governments say is an effort to develop nuclear weapons.
Japan has given mixed signals on the sanctions. Azumi declared last week that Japan would move quickly to reduce its oil imports from Iran after meeting with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, but other officials including the prime minister have said economic implications need to be considered. (AP)
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