• Register Email Updates

• Advanced Search
• Help

Joint Statement

On November 13, 2006, Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and Mr. Akira Amari, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan on Japanese side, and Mr. Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Second Deputy Premier, Minister of Energy and Industry of Qatar on Qatari side, held the first meeting of the Japan-Qatar Joint Economic Committee in Tokyo, Japan. As a result of the meeting:

1. Both sides welcomed the holding of the first meeting of the Japan-Qatar Joint Economic Committee based on "Joint Statement on Strengthening Bilateral Economic Relations between Japan and Qatar" issued in this April, and confirmed that they would make mutual efforts to cooperate to further strengthen the economic relations for the common interests of both countries.
2. Both sides confirmed that further development of economic relations is a main driving force towards a multi-layered partnership between Japan and Qatar, while noting with satisfaction the recent development of economic and commercial activities between the two countries. Both sides, in particular, while noting the roles that the Joint Economic Committee would play in further promoting the bilateral relations between the two countries, stressed their common intention to proceed with the Joint Economic Committee in an active and regular manner.
3. Both sides reached a consensus to establish Working Groups under the Joint Economic Committee. The scopes of these three Working Groups are: Energy; Improvement of business environment and Investment; and Comprehensive Session which supervises the former two Working Groups.
4. Towards further development of the economic relations between Japan and Qatar, both sides confirmed the importance of proposing and developing an action plan for the improvement of business environment, aiming at further increasing trade, investments and business opportunities between the two countries, taking into account the requests and expectations from the private sectors of both countries.
5. Both sides expressed their concern about the negative impact imposed on the global economy by the recent soaring oil price. Japanese side appreciated that the expansion and growth of Qatar's natural gas including liquefied natural gas (LNG) production has made significant contributions to stabilizing the global energy market.
   
   Both sides confirmed that the continued dialogue on energy field is important and effective from the viewpoints of stabilization of global energy market and achievement of closer relationship between both countries, stressing the importance of cooperation on multilateral dialogues such as the International Energy Forum (IEF).
   
   Japanese side expressed its appreciation for that Qatar held the Ministerial Meeting of the IEF successfully in April 2006 in Doha.
6. Both sides reconfirmed the importance of oil and natural gas including LNG in the bilateral relations, and shared the view on the necessity of maintaining and expanding trade and investment in the field of oil and natural gas including LNG.
   
   Japanese side expressed its view that the importance of Qatar would increase as a supplier of oil and natural gas including LNG, and expressed its intention to take appropriate measures in an expeditious manner to improve and expand the transportation of LNG.
   
   Qatari side, on the other hand, expressed its view that Qatar would keep supplying oil and natural gas including LNG to Japan at an acceptable rate for both sides in a stable manner, and Japanese side appreciated this expression.
7. Both sides reconfirmed the significance of promoting Gas To Liquid (GTL) projects, as an effective means for future clean energy supply and a means which could contribute significantly to stabilize the international energy market through diversification of energy resources, while stressing that they should take advantage of their fortes; Japan the technologies, and Qatar the hydro carbon resources.
   
   Japanese side once again underlined that Japanese private companies have intentions to take part in assisting the ongoing and expected GTL projects in Qatar.
   
   Qatari side welcomed such Japanese private sectors' intentions, as they would make significant contributions to steady and surefooted implementation of the GTL projects.
8. Both sides welcomed that Japan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) had started negotiations on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in September 2006 in Tokyo, and shared the view that its early conclusion would lead to further strengthening bilateral economic relations, achieving a high-level liberalization in the trade of goods and services.
9. Both sides decided to hold the first Comprehensive Working Group after the first meeting of the Committee to discuss the modality of each Working Group and exchange views on how to further promote the bilateral economic relations, and to hold the second meeting of the Joint Economic Committee, taking into account the discussion of each working group, as soon as possible.