• Qatar has been a long-standing partner of Japan and is one of Japan’s most trusted suppliers of LNG, says Japanese FM

Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi congratulated Qatar on the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations and pledged efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields, including energy.

Hayashi offered his greetings in a video message to a reception hosted by Qatari ambassador to Japan Hassan Rafei Al-Emadi. The reception was held at a Tokyo Hotel on Tuesday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Hayashi said Qatar has been a long-standing partner of Japan and is one of Japan’s most trusted suppliers of LNG.

The foreign minister also hailed Qatar for its support of Japanese citizens’ travel by continuing Qatar Airways operations amid the Covid-19 pandemic and, more recently, supporting the evacuation of Japan-related Afghan citizens after the fall of Kabul.

“The FIFA World Cup will be held in Qatar at the end of this year, and I sincerely hope for the event’s success and look forward to the participation of the Japanese team,” Hayashi said.

As Japan and the world are shifting towards decarbonization, Japan will continue to further strengthen its bilateral ties with Qatar through energy cooperation and in a wide range of areas, foreign minister Hayashi said.