UAE and Japan to bolster bonds as Kishida reaches Abu Dhabi

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida left Japan on Sunday for his three-nation Middle East tour, reaching Saudi Arabia the same day. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan greeted him in Abu Dhabi on Monday, with a 21-gun salute sounded to mark the visit.

Kishida will be visiting Qatar on July 18 for the final leg of his trip – expected to help Japan strengthen its ties with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and build partnerships in various fields, especially energy security and green transition.

The three countries Kishida will be stopping at address more than 80% of Japan’s total crude oil imports. In fact, the Emirates was its top supplier in May, with 43.4% of the country’s total oil imports or approximately 33 million barrels.

Kishida’s predecessor Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated last year by a lone shooter, has left behind a legacy of strong relations with numerous countries – and the incumbent prime minister appears eager to continue maintaining these ties.

UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, visited Japan in June and met with Kishida as part of their first meeting in six years. The Japanese prime minister highlighted his country’s wishes to bolster cooperation with the UAE during the meeting.

Sheikh Abdullah also held discussions with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi on the UN charter, the defense industry, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and various challenges in the Middle East, North Korea and East Asia.

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The UAE – Japan strategic partnership was part of discussions in June, when the UAE foreign minister met with Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japan’s minister of economy, trade and industry. They held talks on bilateral cooperation in energy and ways to tackle climate change.

Japan is actively investing in renewable energy technologies to address its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. On his tour, Kishida is expected to discuss cooperation on cutting harmful emissions by advocating a transition to hydrogen power.