Japanese Prime Minister: Qatar is an important partner, and my visit to Doha is an opportunity to enhance cooperation between the two countries
July 17, 2023, 12:31 PM
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Mr. Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan
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QatarJapanPrime Minister of Japan
Doha – Qena
The Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, stressed the importance of his visit to the State of Qatar tomorrow, Tuesday, especially since it is his first since assuming the position of prime minister, describing the relations between the two countries as solid, with great potential for developing bilateral cooperation.
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The Japanese Prime Minister said in an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the State of Qatar is an important partner for his country and that over the past half century, Japan and Qatar have steadily developed their relationship not only in the field of energy but also in various fields.
He added that his current visit to the State of Qatar will be an opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields, with a desire to expand cooperation further.
And he considered that the steady supply of LNG and Qatari oil has been supportive of Japan’s economic growth for many years, which enabled both countries to build strong relations on the basis of mutual benefit, and Japanese companies have also played an important role in establishing LNG factories in the State of Qatar on a large scale since Nineties of the last century.
He also indicated that a Japanese company had obtained a contract in February 2021 to develop and establish liquefied natural gas production lines within the North Field expansion project, which is seen as the cornerstone of the prosperity of the State of Qatar, and in addition to that, Japanese companies have contributed to building the basic infrastructure in the State of Qatar through projects giants such as the Doha Metro and Hamad International Airport.
In this context, he added, “I am very pleased that Japanese companies, which are distinguished by advanced technology, continue their contributions towards achieving further development for the State of Qatar.”
The Japanese Prime Minister reiterated his country’s appreciation for the generous assistance provided by Qatar during the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, which included additional supplies estimated at 4 million tons of liquefied natural gas and $100 million in financial aid.
He also praised the tremendous assistance provided by the State of Qatar to Japan in a wide range of situations, including assistance in evacuating Japanese citizens and local employees from Afghanistan, as well as the cooperation of Qatar Airways in returning Japanese citizens from Russia, stressing that these positions reflect the true meaning of the deep friendship between Qatar. and Japan.
Regarding the goal announced by Japan in October 2020, to reach a carbon-neutral society by 2050 amid the acceleration of the global movement towards achieving a green society, Mr. Kishida stressed the importance of expanding cooperation between Japan and Qatar in the field of clean energy, including the areas of energy conservation and hydrogen. And ammonia, while continuing to use liquefied natural gas, which is an energy source with a relatively low environmental impact, pointing to the participation of a Japanese company in the first large-scale project to generate solar energy in Qatar as part of the two countries’ cooperation in the field of clean energy.
He also stressed the importance of Japan and Qatar working closely to achieve stability in the global market for liquefied natural gas, which is witnessing pressure in supply and demand, pointing to his country’s hosting of the 2023 LNG Producers and Consumers Conference in Tokyo, which coincides with his current visit to the State of Qatar, in order to Communicating the importance of gas security and the clean use of LNG to the world, as chair of the Group of Seven major industrialized nations.
He stressed that Japan and Qatar have been able over the years to deepen their relationship “in a good and stable manner despite their geographical distance, thanks to the fact that the Indo-Pacific region, to which the two countries belong, has defended a free and open international order on the basis of sovereignty.” The law, despite the many challenges it has faced, as emphasized during the Hiroshima summit of the Group of Seven industrialized nations hosted by Japan last May, states that all countries must respect the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, such as respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and territorial integrity.
He said: Japan maintains and strengthens a free and open international order based on the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific region, and also calls for the “vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific” to achieve peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world where his country is based, in order to achieve this vision, In cooperation with all countries without excluding any of them, and at the same time wishing, in particular, to work closely with the State of Qatar, which also respects the rule of law.
He noted that the relations between Japan and Qatar currently extend beyond the energy sector, as the leaders of the two countries announced during the visit of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the country, to Japan in January 2019, the establishment of the “strategic dialogue” between the two foreign ministers, The two sides also stressed the need to further strengthen relations between them.
He said, “In this context, we are conducting discussions with the Qatari side on exchange and cooperation in a wide range of fields that are not limited to the field of energy, and we are also exchanging views on various Middle Eastern affairs, including those related to Gulf affairs, and peace in the Middle East, as well as East Asian affairs such as those related to China and North Korea, and I am determined to work closely, in the international arena, with Qatar, which plays a vital role in easing tensions and in stabilizing the situation in the international community, including the situation in Afghanistan.
He added that his country also attaches great importance to the “Qatar National Vision 2030”, which emphasizes industrial diversification and human resources development, as Japan will continue to cooperate with the State of Qatar in order to achieve the vision on the ground.
He considered the Qatar National Vision 2030 evidence of the strong leadership and clear vision of His Highness the Emir of the country, and that its success is of great importance not only to the State of Qatar, but also to the prosperity and stability of the Middle East region as a whole.
At the end of the dialogue with QNA, the Prime Minister of Japan stressed that there are greater potentials for cooperation between the two countries, and said in this context, “I would like to work side by side with His Highness the Emir of the country to transform this potential into a reality that will be embodied over the next fifty years.”
