Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said on Friday that Japan will support reform and democratization efforts in the Middle East and North Africa.

Noda told the third day of the General Assembly's annual general debate that to improve the employment situation and support human resource development in the region, Japan "is prepared to extend an additional yen loan worth approximately 1 billion U.S. dollars in total, for projects which are expected to contribute to infrastructure building and industrial development."

Moreover, Japan will provide support to ensure fair elections in Tunisia and Egypt, where polls are scheduled to be held in Autumn this year.

"For a new Libya, Japan will support the country's nation- building efforts in cooperation with the international community, utilizing its expertise and technological capacity," said Noda. At the same time, He said that Japan will deepen economic relations with Middle Eastern and North African countries by further promoting trade and investment through such means as trade insurance and export loans.