TOKYO: Japan is making preparations for a meeting of foreign ministers from Japan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries in Saudi Arabia in early September.
Tokyo wanted to consolidate relations with oil-producing nations to ensure a sustained energy supply from the Middle East, where the US influence is decreasing while China’s influence is rising, acording to a Japanese media outlet.
Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will attend the meeting and he may also go to Jordan and Egypt.
The GCC is a union of 6 countries in the Gulf region. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain are its members.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida paid a visit to the Middle East in July when Japan and the GCC announced the resumption of negotiations on a free trade deal.
The foreign ministers are likely to discuss a free trade agreement and technical cooperation in energy sources. The nuclear programme of Iran may also be on the agenda.
Japan aims to to strengthen energy security
Resource-poor Japan aims to strengthen its energy security, as it remains highly dependent on imports of oil and liquefied natural gas. It relies on the Middle East for over 90 per cent of its crude oil.
