PanOrient News | Syria and Japan to further develop economic and energy relations

Please Select Your Language : Arabic | Japanese

Diplomacy

Syria and Japan to further develop economic and energy relations

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Tokyo- (PanOrient News) Japan and Syria agreed on Tuesday to further develop their bilateral relations and to enhance cooperation in the economic and energy fields, Japanese Foreign Ministry officials said.

Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara told Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban, the political and media advisor to Syria’s president, that Japan and Syria should work together in the oil and natural gas sectors, as well as in various other fields.

Dr. Shabaan said that Syria hopes to see more Japanese business and investments by Japanese companies in Syria.

Dr. Shabaan was making a courtesy call on Maehara at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo. She is visiting Japan at the invitation of the Japanese government.

In the meeting, Maehara talked about the dispatch of Japanese UNDOF personnel (PKO) to the Golan Heights. Shaaban expressed Syria’s gratitude for helping to contribute to regional stability, foreign ministry officials told PanOrient News.

The pair also touched upon the situation in Lebanon. According to Foreign Ministry officials, Dr. Shaaban explained Syria's point of view regarding the situation in Lebanon, while Maehara stated that Japan supports the efforts of Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and said that Japan believes the rule of law must be respected.

In explaining Japan’s position, Maehara reiterated Japan's support for the Middle East peace process and for a two-state solution concerning Israel and Palestine. The Japanese foreign minister also said that Japan is calling on Israel to completely freeze settlement activities in East Jerusalem. Shaaban said that Syria will continue working for a comprehensive Middle East peace and expressed her country’s appreciation for Japan's diplomacy towards the Middle East peace process, according to the officials.

Maehara also raised the issue of nuclear non-proliferation, saying that Japan, being the only country in the world that has had atomic weapons used against it, is totally against such weapons.

PanOrient News