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Japan-Lebanon Relations

January 2011

Basic Data

Diplomatic Relations:

Established in November 1954

1954 Delegation of Japan opened in Lebanon

1957 Delegation of Lebanon opened in Tokyo

1959 Both delegations upgraded to Embassies

1986 For security reason, the embassy staff in Beirut evacuated to a temporary office in Damascus (local staff was placed in the Beirut office).

1995 The embassy staff in the temporary office was returned to Beirut

Bilateral Treaties and Agreements:

1953 Japan Lebanon Aviation Agreement was signed

1969 Maritime Traffic and Aviation Mutual Income Tax Exemption Agreement was signed

Number of Residents:

Number of Japanese nationals residing in Lebanon: 74 (October 2008)

Number of Lebanese nationals residing in Japan: 98 (December 2007)

Trade with Japan (2009):

Exports: $2 million (nonferrous metal (aluminum))

Imports: $668 million (cars, electrical machinery)

Direct Investment from Japan:

None (2008)

Japan's Economic Cooperation (cumulative total until fiscal 2008):

List of Exchange of Notes

Loans: 13 billion yen

Grants: 2.85 billion yen

Technical cooperation: 1.16 billion yen

Cultural Exchange:

Besides exchanging cultural figures and specialists, Japan has been providing cultural grants. Also, as one of overseas embassy cultural projects, "Japan Week" was held in the city of Tripoli in November 2008 and attracted approximately 2000 people. In Beirut as well, Japan Film Festival screened 6 films in May 2009 and gained popularity.

Friendship League:

Japan-Lebanon Liberal Democratic Parliamentary League was established in 1996.

VIP Visits

From Japan to Lebanon

Year	Name
1995	Vice Foreign Minister, Yasuo Fukuda
1997	Chairman of Committee on Foreign Affairs of House of Representatives, Ichiro Aizawa
	Chairman of the Japanese-Lebanese Interparliamentary Friendship Group, Yoshirou Mori with the members of the group
1999	Foreign Minister, Masahiko Koumura
2001	Vice Foreign Minister, Seiken Sugiura
2002	Special Envoy for the Middle East, Tatsuo Arima
2004	Parliamentary Vice Foreign Minister, Kazunori Tanaka
2009	Special Envoy for the Middle East, Yutaka Iimura

From Lebanon to Japan

Year	Name
1996	Minister of State for Financial Affairs, Fuad Siniora
	Minister of Electricity and Water Resources, Elie Hobeika
	Prime Minister, Rafic Hariri
1997	Prime Minister, Rafic Hariri
2000	Chairman of the Lebanon-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Association, Talal Merabi
2001	Prime Minister, Rafic Hariri
	Minister of Economy and Trade, Basel Fleihane
2002	Prime Minister, Rafic Hariri
	Minister of Economy and Trade, Basel Fleihane
	Chairman of the Lebanon-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Association, Yashin Jaber
2004	President of Finance and Budget Committee of the Parliament, Samir Azar

Cultural Grant (cumulative total fiscal 1975-2008)

437 million yen (Cultural Grant Aid)
22.9 million yen (Grant Assistance for Cultural Grassroots Projects)

• Statement by the Press Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, on Lebanon's Monetary Contributions to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) (December 2, 2011)
• Statement by Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Recent Situation in Lebanon (ign Affairs, on the Recent Situation in Lebanon (January 14, 2011)
• Statement by Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the decision of Israel regarding the withdraw from the northern part of Ghajar (November 18, 2010)
• Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the confrontation between the Israel Defense Forces and the Lebanese Army (August 4, 2010)
• Statement by Press Secretary on Establishment of a New Cabinet in Lebanon (November 2009)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on Ambassador-level Establishment of Diplomatic Relations Between Syria and Lebanon (August 2008)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on a Bomb Attack in Tripoli, Lebanon (August 2008)
• Statement by Press Secretary on Establishment of a New Cabinet in Lebanon (July 2008)
• Financial assistance to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (June 2008)
• Statement by Press Secretary on the Election of a New President in Lebanon (May 2008)
• Statement by Press Secretary on the Current Situation in Lebanon (May 22, 2008)
• Statement by Press Secretary on the Current Situation in Lebanon (May 9, 2008)
• Exchange of Notes for Grant Aid to the Republic of Lebanon through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for the Agency's Emergency Appeal for Northern Lebanon (March 2008)
• Statement by Press Secretary on the Current Situation Concerning Election of a New President in Lebanon (November 2007)
• Statement by Press Secretary on the Terrorist Bombing Attack, in Lebanon (September 2007)
• Emergency Humanitarian Grant Aid for Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon (July 2007)
• Statement by Press Secretary on the Bombing Attack against UNIFIL (June 2007)
• Statement by Press Secretary on the Terrorist Bombing Attack against Mr.Walid Eido, Member of the Parliament of Lebanon (June 2007)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on Adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1757 on the Lebanon Special Tribunal (June 2007)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Recent Situation in Lebanon (May 2007)
• Cancellation of the Visit to Japan by H.E. Mr. Fuad Siniora, President of the Ministers of the Republic of Lebanon (May 2007)
• Visit to Japan by H.E. Mr. Fuad Siniora, President of the Council of Ministers, Republic of Lebanon (May 2007)
• Dispatch of Mr. Masatoshi Wakabayashi, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister, to Attend the International Conference for Support to Lebanon (January 2007)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Assassination of Mr. Pierre Gemayel, Minister of Industry of Lebanon (November 2006)
• Emergency Humanitarian Grant Aid for Lebanon (November 2006)
• Remarks by Mr. Katsutoshi Kaneda, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan on the occasion of the International Conference for Lebanon's Early Recovery (August 31, 2006)
• Assistance for "Social and Economic Empowerment of Mine-affected communities: Removing the Threat of Landmines and UXOs and Promoting Post-demining Rehabilitation" Project in Lebanon (August 2006)
• Statement by Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the Adoption of the Security Council Resolution 1701 on Lebanon (August 2006)
• Emergency Humanitarian Grant Aid for Lebanon (August 2006)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Israel-Lebanon Situation (July 2006)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Situation on the Israel-Lebanon (July 2006)
• Statement by H.E. Mr. Shinichi Kitaoka, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan, at the Public Meeting of the Security Council on the Situation in the Middle East (July 2006)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Situation on the Israel-Lebanon Border (July 2006)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Car Bombing Occurred in Lebanon (December 2005)
• Japan to Assume Chairmanship of the United Nations Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1636 (2005) concerning the Suspects of Assassination of Former Lebanese Prime Minister (November 2005)
• Meeting between Mr. Motohide Yoshikawa, Director-General of the Middle Eastern and African Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Mr. Fouad Siniora, President of the Council of Minister (Prime Minister), and Mr. Fawzi Salloukh, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, of Lebanon (August 2005)
• Dispatch of Japanese Personnel to the United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) concerning the Assassination of Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri (August 2005)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the General Election for the Lebanese Parliament (June 2005)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon (March 2005)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the assassination of the former President of the Council of Ministers Rafic Hariri of Lebanon by terrorist bombings (February 2005)
• Assistance for Supporting Socio-Economic Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration of Former Detainees in Southern Lebanon (February 2004)
• Visit to Japan by Mr. Rafic Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon (October 2002)
• Visit to Japan by Prime Minister Rafic Hariri of Lebanon (February 2001)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Withdrawal of IDF from Lebanon (May 2000)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Recent Situation in Lebanon (February 8)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Recent Situation in Lebanon (June 1999)

Press Secretary's Press Conference on Lebanon

• Embassy of Japan in Lebanon Web Site