Islamabad: Japan's foreign minister offered assistance today to Pakistan's newly elected government in its fight against terrorism, the Pakistani Prime Minister's office said.

Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura, who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan, made the offer during talks with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in the capital, Islamabad, Gilani s office said in a statement.

Pakistan is a key ally of Washington in the war on terror and has deployed thousands of troops in tribal regions near Afhanistan, where US led coalition forces are fighting Taliban and al-Qaida fighters.

The South Asian nation recently initiated peace talks with militants in the country s tribal areas and planned to launch development projects in hopes of curbing the activities of Islamic militants on its side of the border.

Japan, another key US ally, has refused ship since 2001 in suport of US-led forces in Afghanistan. However, its main support has been in the form of financial assistance to the Afghan government.

Gilani told Komura that the world community "has to do more" to support Pakistan's efforts against terrorism. Komura "appreciated" Pakistan's role and assured it of support for development programmes in its least developed areas, which include the militancy plagued northwest, the statement said.

It provided no details, but Komura later signed an agreement to extend soft loans worth $478 million to Pakistan for power, irrigation and road projects. Komura met later with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who told reporters that Pakistan was engaging "peace-loving tribal people" and that it would not compromise with terrorists.

Source : PTI