Japan’s PM rounds out energy-focused Gulf tour

Japan’s PM rounds out energy-focused Gulf tour

DOHA: Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited gas-rich Qatar on Tuesday to wrap up a Gulf tour centered on energy security and cooperation with Tokyo’s main suppliers. He was making the first visit to Doha by a Japanese premier in 10 years. Kishida arrived in Qatar from the United Arab Emirates after starting his tour in Saudi Arabia where he met the de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

During his tour, Kishida and Gulf leaders discussed “how to deal with energy challenges” in the face of unstable supply due to Russia’s Ukraine invasion, the prime minister told a Doha press conference. Japan relies almost entirely on imports for its crude oil, with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar accounting for the bulk of its supplies. But as the oil-producing Gulf states move towards cleaner energy sources, Japan said it is hoping to offer its greener and renewable energy technologies to assist their decarbonisation efforts.

“By combining respective strengths of Gulf states and Japan, oil producers in the Middle East will be transformed to global green energy hubs, exporting decarbonised energy and critical minerals,” Kishida told reporters. “Cooperation will be enhanced in respect to the production of hydrogen, ammonium,” and decarbonisation