(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Irfan Bukhari
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The Peninsula
DOHA: Ambassador of Japan to Qatar H E Satoshi Maeda has said Japan is deeply concerned about the critical humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing for 300 days.
“Our position is to work towards the release of all hostages, to achieve a sustainable ceasefire and create an environment that allows humanitarian assistance within the region,” Ambassador Maeda said in an exclusive interview with The Peninsula.
He added that Japan supports the mediation efforts led by Qatar, the United States and Egypt to release the hostages and achieve a ceasefire.“In March this year, we voted in favour of the Security Council resolution calling for a Ramadan ceasefire.”
“It is also necessary to address medium-to-long-term issues such as reforming the Palestinian Authority (PA), promoting the political process toward a two-state solution, and reconstructing Gaza. Japan is already providing much-needed humanitarian aid and relief for the Palestinian people, including those in the Gaza Strip. Since October 2023, we have provided $125m worth of aid to Gaza.”
The ambassador noted that Japan's foreign policy is based on maintaining, strengthening the free and open international order based on the rule of law, and supporting the peaceful resolution of international conflicts.
“Our cooperation with Qatar follows our two countries' joint priorities in the region, and we are actively working together to resolve various issues facing the international community. Regarding Gaza, our countries are committed to continue working together to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and de-escalate the situation.”
He added:“During a phone conversation with H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, immediately following October 7, 2023, H E Kishida Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, praised Qatar for its diplomatic efforts to calm the situation and quickly release hostages, and H H Sheikh Tamim expressed his gratitude for Japan's diplomatic efforts and humanitarian assistance.”
Ambassador of Japan H E Satoshi Maeda during the interview.
On Qatar's mediation efforts to end Gaza crisis, he said that Japan highly appreciates Qatar's efforts as a mediator to achieve a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and secure release of the hostages.
“We understand that negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages are at a critical stage, and the international community must urge both Hamas and Israel to commit to the negotiation process. Playing the role of mediator is no easy task, and I believe it is a role that only Qatar, which has a channel with Hamas, can fulfil. We hope that Qatar will continue to play this role.”
On expanding economic cooperation between Qatar and Japan, Ambassador Maeda said Japan welcomed Qatar's participation in the 5th Japan-Arab Economic Forum held in Tokyo on July 10-11 and hope that Qatar's presence will help in deepening and diversifying bilateral ties between Japan and Arab countries.
“Demonstrating Japan's credibility as a promising partner for Arab countries, the forum agreed to advance discussions to promote and support cooperation in sectors such as economic diversification and innovation, energy, climate change, environmentally-friendly products, water resources, waste management, hydrogen, ammonia, emerging technologies, communications, AI, and supply chain resilience.”
Talking about trade exchanges between the two countries, the ambassador said:“Japan and Qatar have a strong economic and trade relationship underpinned by mutual interests and joint priorities. While Japan has imported large amounts of Qatari LNG and crude oil for many years now, the amount of exports from Japan to Qatar in 2023 was also the highest of the past 15 years - testifying of the mutually-beneficial economic ties between our two countries. A large portion of Japan's exports to Qatar include goods such as steel pipes used in gas fields, automobiles and car parts.”
He said mutual investments are another area of joint interest for Japan and Qatar.“We look forward to soon being able to create concrete proposals in consultation with Japanese companies. Japan is focusing on the development of GX (Green Transformation), semiconductors, and battery industries, and we are confident these areas are promising for investments from Qatari companies. Similarly, we believe in Qatar's healthcare and education sectors and look forward to seeing new investments from Japan to Qatar in these areas.”
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To date, he said, 30 companies in Qatar are operating under the management of Japanese nationals, the majority of which operate in oil, gas, and infrastructure sectors.
“We look forward to diversifying the economic relationship between our two countries and develop further business opportunities for Japanese companies in Qatar, including in fields such as healthcare, education, food, and fashion.”
Regarding bilateral cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence and technology, he said there are many companies in Japan with excellent technologies.“We are working to achieve further cooperation with Qatar in the fields of AI, semiconductors, robotics, and communication technology.”
On energy ties, he said that Japan and Qatar benefit from robust energy ties that are guided by a joint commitment to fulfil the energy needs of today without compromising the development of new technologies for the benefits of generations tomorrow.
“We are continuing to import large amounts of oil and gas from Qatar and are proud to have witnessed the signing of long-term agreements between Japanese companies and QatarEnergy for the further supply of naphtha and condensate.”
He added:“Japan is also working to create demand for hydrogen and ammonia, decarbonise the manufacturing industry, and create new technologies to realise a carbon-neutral society. We are seeking cooperation with many countries in these fields, and look forward to being able to advance our cooperation with Qatar.”
“We are hopeful that our joint energy priorities can take the bilateral relationship between Japan and Qatar to new heights. A Japanese team involving Sumitomo Corporation and Shikoku Electric Power is currently participating in the bidding for Facility E, a new IWPP (power and water production facility), and we are confident that a successful bid would build on the work already engaged by Japanese trading company Marubeni in the development of a large-scale solar power generation project in Qatar.”
On cooperation in clean energy and climate change projects, the ambassador said both countries have a longstanding commitment to sustainable development, and“we are working hand in hand for the advancement of clean energy projects, both in Qatar and Japan.”
“Following announcements made during Prime Minister Kishida's visit to Qatar last year, Japan's Mitsubishi Research Institute has already proposed measures regarding carbon credits to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change in Qatar. In collaboration with Kahramaa, the Institute of Energy Economics in Japan (IEEJ) also served as a key contributor to Tarsheed, the national energy conservation programme in Qatar.”
He added:“As for the North Field Expansion Project, Chiyoda Corporation is building LNG plants equipped with a large-scale CCS (carbon capture and storage) facility and exhaust heat recovery facility that can reduce CO2 emissions during operation by 25 percent. Sumitomo Corporation signed an agreement with QatarEnergy to supply oil well tubing produced by Nippon Steel to be used in the CCS facility of the Blue Ammonia Plant.” To a question, he said that in recent years relations between Japan and Qatar have expanded beyond the field of energy to also include a wide range of areas such as diplomacy, economy and investment, aviation, security, and culture.
“Aligned with our ambitions, Japan Airlines, our national flag carrier, launched a new direct flight between Tokyo and Doha, and Qatar Airways resumed direct flights between Osaka and Doha in March this year. We hope that the number of visitors between the two countries will further increase, and that people-to-people exchanges at the grassroots level will become more active.”
On Japan-Qatar Strategic Dialogue, Maeda said the strategic dialogue aims to further develop and materialise the strategic partnership.“Regular discussions between the foreign ministers of our two countries are being held to further strengthen relations in a wide range of areas, including not only the energy sector but also diplomacy, economy and investment, security, development cooperation, and culture. The third strategic dialogue is scheduled to be held in Doha. The specific date has not yet been decided, but we are looking forward to hosting it soon, possibly within this year.”
On areas to further enhance cooperation for mutual benefit, he said:“We look forward to continuing to diversify our economic ties to new areas of potential growth. These include cooperation in healthcare, in which both Japan and Qatar are interested, and in new technologies such as GX, AI, and telecommunications technology.”
He said agreements signed between Japan and Qatar are a strong base on which the two countries are relying to promote the exchange of business and people, and to further diversify the existing ties between our two countries.
“During Prime Minister Kishida's visit last year, an MoU was signed between JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) and IPA Qatar, to promote bilateral trade and investment cooperation between our two countries. Japan Airlines also launched direct flights between Tokyo and Doha, and we hope that such agreements will lead to a wide range of cooperation in new fields, including but not limited to economic areas, defence, humanitarian development, and more.”
On tourism sector and its role in bringing Japan and Qatar closer, he said the tourism sector has the potential to serve as a bridge between Japan and Qatar, fostering closer ties in a variety of areas.
“Travelling to Japan has never been more accessible for Qatari citizens, notably thanks to the implementation of the“Visa Waiver Measure for Nationals of the State of Qatar based on Ordinary Passport Registration System” in April 2023. With a streamlined visa application process and the elimination of processing fees, the number of Qatari nationals who travelled to Japan in 2023 reached a record high of 3,386, up from 494 in 2022.”“This surge in visitors underlines the strong ability of the tourism sector to promote cultural exchanges and economic ties between our two countries.” On enhancing cooperation in areas of science and technology, education and innovation, Maeda said:“Japan is actively working on GX, the semiconductor and battery industry, AI and biotechnology, and we are confident that there are benefits for both Qatar and Japan in the development and expansion of cooperation in these fields.
“The Embassy has already worked closely with Qatar's Ministry of Education and Higher Education to promote Japanese language education in the public school system. The Ministry's successful Language Summer Camp in Japan for Qatari secondary school students taking Japanese as an elective language is a perfect illustration of the results we can achieve together, as partners.”
He said the embassy also offers opportunities for qualified Qatari nationals to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate degrees at Japanese universities.“Known as 'MEXT Scholarship', the scholarship provides a wide range of majors to Qatari students, including scientific, engineering, and technological fields as well. Former grantees were able to develop their scientific studies in Japan, which in turn helped them advance their careers back here in Qatar.”
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