Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Following attacks by the Houthis on the UAE and other civilian targets in Saudi Arabia, Japan has been taking concrete steps to bring about peace, including “direct contact and dialogue with the Iranians,” a Japanese Cabinet official in Tokyo told Arab News Japan.

“Also, we are aware that the UN Security Council issued a statement this month on the Houthis’ attacks on the United Arab Emirates, and we support this statement,” the official said during a briefing on Jan. 26.

In the statement, the UNSC accused the Houthis “of conducting terrorist attacks.”

Former Foreign Minister MOTEGI Toshimitsu visited Tehran in Aug. 2021 and met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and they discussed the situation in Yemen. On that occasion, Motegi urged Iran to act responsibly as a major power and major stakeholder in the Middle East, the Japanese official said.

“All in all, we put much importance on good relations with Arab countries, including UAE, Yemen and Saudi Arabia,” the official said. “We are condemning the Houthis attacks, which should be stopped.”

The Japanese government has been providing humanitarian assistance to Yemen “and remains committed to continuing making efforts,” the official said.

Japan’s aid to Yemen in 2021, distributed via the United Nations, was around $66 million. In December 2021, the Diet approved an extraordinary budget that included an additional $23 million for Yemen. In the six years between 2015-2020, Japan has given around $300 million to support Yemen.