Japan plans to strengthen ties with UAE to ensure stability

Collaboration with the UEA, Saudi Arabia, the US and Turkey involves the resolution of major issues affecting regional stability.

TOKYO // Japan plans to strengthen its collaboration with countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the US and Turkey to ensure stability in the Middle East.

This coordination will include addressing major issues affecting regional stability, including democratisation in Arab countries in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, Syria’s civil war, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Middle East peace process and peace-building in Afghanistan.

“The Middle East is very important for Japan, especially the sea lanes, because Japan cannot survive by itself,” Yasuhiro Tsukamoto, the principal deputy director of national security and space policy at the Foreign Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday in Tokyo.

“We import oil, especially from the Middle East countries, more than 80 to 90 per cent, so the conflicts in the Middle East are a kind of national interest, and through assistance, we want to cooperate to stabilise these issues.”

He said the region was fundamentally important to Japan. “But we need a lot of time to tackle these problems,” he said. “I don’t see a hopeful future for the moment.”

On the issue of Iran, Koichi Mizushima, the deputy press secretary of the deputy director general for press and public diplomacy at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said it was important for Japan to secure the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

“I understand that Iran is now strengthening the relationship with the International Atomic Energy Agency and we want Iran to cooperate with the agency,” he said. “I see Iran being more cooperative. The fact that there are negotiations is a good sign. But it’s important for any country to have a good relationship with neighbouring countries, to be transparent and to have confidence-building.”

Dr Mustafa Alani, a senior adviser in security and defence at the Gulf Research Centre in the UAE, said Japan’s security assistance in the region was positive and achievable.

“They are concerned about maritime security against terrorism and piracy because this is their lifeline supply of oil, and their oil tankers suffered twice so far due to pirates and terrorists,” he said. “Because they are not allowed to send military forces outside Japan, they send supporting forces for humanitarian or medical aid so their role is helpful and it’s a shared interest.

“We have the oil in the region and we have interests to make this a safe delivery, and 100 per cent of Japanese supply is maritime seaborne transport, so it’s a major issue for them and for us in terms of counter-terrorism.”