Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will visit Egypt as part of a Middle East tour, from 15 to 24 August, in order to discuss regional security and measures to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to the Japanese kyodo News.
The Middle East tour will also include Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Iran, and Qatar.
“Ensuring peace and security in the Middle East region is extremely important for the international community, including Japan. Through the visit, I want to reiterate Japan’s commitment to the Middle East, which has contributed to its peace and prosperity over the years,” Motegi said in a press conference.
Motegi’s visit to the Middle East follows recent inauguration of new administrations in Iran and Israel, and is aimed at consolidating Japan’s ties with the region being a major oil supplier.
Commenting on the new governments in Iran and Israel, Motegi expressed his keenness to exchange opinions on the regional situation and work closely with the new governments to promote stability in the Middle East region.
Although the Foreign Minister had planned to visit Iraq, the COVID-19 situation there will not allow him to visit the country.
It should be noted that the Egyptian-Japanese relationship is very strong based on exchanging knowledge and expertise. Japan had also supported Egypt’s post-COVID-19 recovery, by focusing on the export of Japanese medical equipment as well as technical assistance to boost Egypt’s health sector and its capacity to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as expanding renewable energy and pushing Egypt’s digital transition forward.
Fundamentally, the core of the Egyptian-Japanese partnership is based on development, knowledge exchange and prosperity, which has helped maintain the strength of their cooperation portfolio over the years.
