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Doha, July 18 (QNA) – HE Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida’s visit to the State of Qatar comes within the framework of the intense diplomatic movement currently taking place in Doha, and in the context of the good relations between the two countries and their friendly peoples, and in line with the keenness of the two leaderships to strengthen and develop the bilateral relations and push them towards broader horizons.
HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani will meet with HE Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida to discuss bilateral relations and ways of developing and enhancing them in various fields, in addition to the most important issues and topics of common interest in the international arena.
The visit reflects the desire and keenness of the two leaderships to raise the level of cooperation and coordination between the two parties for the benefit of the two countries and their friendly peoples, and in the interest of international peace and stability.
Qatar and Japan share decades of fruitful partnership and constructive relations. The diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1971.
Efforts to strengthen ties with Japan are based on the wise vision of HH the Amir to elevate the bilateral relations from the stage of cooperation to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
The relations between Qatar and Japan are characterized by their historical depth and development from year to year, as they are based on the foundations of strong friendship, mutual cooperation, respect and trust between the two countries.
The mutual visits at the level of senior officials contributed to the development and expansion of bilateral relations. The most important visits from the Qatari side in recent years include HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani’s visit to Tokyo in September 2022 to participate in the official funeral ceremonies of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, HH the Amir’s visits to Tokyo in 2015 and 2019, and HH the Amir’s participation in the enthronement ceremony of HM Emperor Naruhito of Japan on October 22, 2019. From the Japanese side, the most important visits include the visit of HM Emperor Naruhito of Japan to Doha in 1994 when he was crown prince, and the visits of the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in August 2013 and in May 2007.
The agreements and memorandums of understanding signed between the two countries, and the joint declaration regarding the establishment of a strategic dialogue mechanism, reflect the sincere desire to strengthen bilateral relations and encourage continuous cooperation in all fields.
Qatar and Japan have focused primarily on economy, trade and energy. However, the relations between the two countries began to expand in recent years to include broader domains such as politics, security, defense, investment, education, health, scientific and medical research, science and technology, tourism, infrastructure development, and the development of Human resources and training of cadres. Last year, the two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of these relations by organizing various cultural and sporting events in both Doha and Tokyo to commemorate this historic occasion.
Qatar and Japan have compatible visions on settling global crises, placing dialogue based on the principles of equality and adherence to international law as a basis for achieving international peace and security. In late January, the second strategic dialogue session between the governments of the State of Qatar and Japan was held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo.
During the session, the two sides discussed expanding joint investments in the field of energy, enhancing cultural relations, cooperation and exchanging experiences in the field of cybersecurity, in addition to enhancing cooperation in the defense field, exchanging expertise in the technological field, and promoting private investments and exchanging visits by businessmen in the two countries. The two sides also agreed to exchange notes on exempting Qatari citizens from entry visas by introducing the pre-registration system for Qatari travelers to Japan.
The fourth round of political consultations between the State of Qatar and Japan was held in Doha in mid-June. During the consultations, the two sides discussed aspects of bilateral cooperation and ways of promoting them.
Japan is considered one of the most important trading partners of the State of Qatar, especially in the field of energy. The State of Qatar is one of the main LNG suppliers to Japan, which is the first trading partner of the State of Qatar. The volume of trade exchange between the two countries has increased in recent years. Qatar’s exports to Japan in 2021 amounted to more than QR 43 billion, while imports reached more than QR 3 billion, achieving a trade surplus of more than QR 39 billion for Qatar.
Major Japanese companies contribute to vital infrastructure projects in Qatar, such as the Doha Metro, Hamad International Airport, LNG-related expansion projects, the giant solar power plant in Al-Kharsaah, and others.
Cooperation between the two countries has also expanded beyond energy and infrastructure projects to include cooperation in promising projects, such as joint investment in power plants in other countries, the production of new types of clean energy, the human genome project which aims to obtain more accurate and applicable medical treatment for all people, the Golden Pass LNG project, the Es’hailSat satellite project, a plant for growing vegetables without soil, Qatar University support for Islamic studies in Japan, and an experimental plant for desalination of industrial wastewater.
In the humanitarian field, Qatar provided support to the Japanese stranded in other countries at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, and evacuated the Japanese from Afghanistan. Moreover, Qatar provided support to the Japanese people after natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis, through the Qatar Friendship Fund for the reconstruction of Onagawa, which was devastated by a tsunami in March 2011.
Japan is located in Northeast Asia between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan. It consists of a long chain of islands that extend for about 3,000 kilometers, with an area of 378,000 square kilometers and a population of more than 127 million people.
The Japanese economy is the third largest economy in the world in terms of gross domestic product after the United States of America and China. Japan also occupies second place in the field of communications and biotechnology and is witnessing continuous development in the fields of pharmaceutical and aerospace industries.
Japan enjoys its global position by relying on heavy industry based on the conversion of imported raw materials. The country is the first producer of iron and steel in the world, the third power in oil refining, and the first producer of cars. Industry is considered one of the pillars of Japan’s economic power. In this sector, Japan comes second in the world after the United States and occupies a dominant position in the field of shipbuilding, contributes to 40% of the global production of ships, and owns the second largest commercial fleet in the world.
Japan is among the world’s largest producers and exporters of automobiles, electronic equipment, machinery, steel, non-ferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles and processed foods. (QNA)
