Arab News Japan

TOKYO: In a meeting of top foreign affairs officials on Friday, Japan and the United States shared serious concerns towards the surge in energy prices and supply disruption resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which could have adverse impacts on vulnerable sectors of the population.

Japan’s Assistant Minister for Economic Affairs, NAMAZU Hiroyuki, and U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for Energy Security Geoffrey Pyatt met for the Japan-U.S. Energy Security Dialogue, covering topics on energy security, energy transition, energy access and assistance to Ukraine.

Discussions were held to explore possible and effective measures to provide assistance to Ukraine, especially in the face of a possible harsh winter. Both sides reaffirmed their determination to maintain their firm positions against the use of energy for political and economic coercion.

The two sides recognized that access to energy is under threat, especially among vulnerable sections of the population, in both developing and developed countries. Both sides shared the urgency to secure access to affordable energy, noting it is a basic human need.

Both sides reaffirmed the importance of securing a resilient supply chain of critical minerals, which is crucial for the transition to clean energy, through the framework of the Minerals Security Partnership.