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Japan-Syria Relations

May 2012

Basic Data

Diplomatic Relations:

1953 Diplomatic relations opened

1954 Legation of Japan in Syria opened

1962 Legation of Japan upgraded to Embassy of Japan

1978 Embassy of Syria opened in Tokyo

 

Bilateral relationship has been stable and favorable. Japan has been dispatching self-defense force to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Golan Heights since 1996. The total number of Japanese personnel dispatched is 46 and 15 out of them are engaging in the mission in Camp Faouar on the Syrian side.

Bilateral Treaties and Agreements:

1953 Trade arrangements was signed

1957 Legal assistance agreement was signed

1967 Japan Oversees Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) arrangement was signed

1985 Technical Assistance Agreement was signed

Number of Residents:

Number of Japanese Nationals residing in Syria: 216 (2008)

Number of Syrian Nationals residing in Japan: 200 (2010)

Economic Assistance from Japan to Syria (up to 2008):

Loan Assistance: 156.3 billion yen

Grant Aid: 27.4 billion yen

Technical Assistance: 26 billion yen (based on JICA expense)

List of Exchange of Notes

 

Japan has been implementing various types of assistance based on the needs of local people (electrical, agricultural, medical and water situation). As in the loan assistance form, 3 power plant construction projects (about 30% of the total electricity supply within the country) had been conducted.

Economic Relations:

Exports to Japan: 1.5 billion yen (2008) (cotton wool, soap etc.)

Imports from Japan: 66.9 billion yen (2008) (automobiles, general machinery)

 

Traditionally, Japanese companies that advance in Syria were mainly corporations, but as of now in 2009, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ltd is the only company that advanced in Syria.

Culture Exchange:

In the role of Japanese educational institution, there are Japanese Language Department in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Japanese language section in the Higher Language Institute of Damascus University and Japan Center for Academic Cooperation at the University of Aleppo. The 11th Japanese speech contest was held in 2008 and 28 Japanese learners participated.

 

Japan also has been promoting and introducing its own culture within Syria and organizes Japan Fair annually in major cities like Damascus and Aleppo.

Friendship Leagues:

1991---Japan-Syria Parliamentary Friendship League

1991---Syrian-Japanese Parliamentary Friendship Association

VIP Visits

From Japan to Syria

Year	Name
1990	Minister for Foreign Affairs, Taro Nakayama
1994	Minister for Foreign Affairs, Koji Kakizawa
1995	Prime Minister, Tomiichi Murayama
1996	Minister for Foreign Affairs, Yukihiko Ikeda
1999	Minister for Foreign Affairs, Masahiko Koumura
2000	Minister for Foreign Affairs, Yohei Kono
2003	Minister for Foreign Affairs, Yoriko Kawaguchi
2007	Vice Foreign Minister, Katsuhito Asano
2009	Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Yasutoshi Nishimura

From Syria to Japan

Year	Name
1992	Minister of Foreign Affairs, Farouq Al-Shara'
1995	Minister of Foreign Affairs, Farouq Al-Shara'
1997	Minister of Culture, Najah Al-Attar
1999	Minister of Foreign Affairs, Farouq Al-Shara'
2001	Deputy Foreign Minister, Walid Al-Muallem
2002	Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Ghassan Al-Rifai
2003	Minister of Electricity, Muneeb Al-Daher
2004	Deputy Foreign Minister, Iisa Darweesh
2009	Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fayssal Mekdad (January)
	Minister of Culture, Riad Naasan Agha (November)
	Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Abdullah Dardari (December)

Cultural Grant (cumulative total fiscal 1975-2008)

964.8 million yen (Cultural Grant Aid)
17.6 million yen (Grant Assistance for Cultural Grassroots Projects)

• Emergency Grant Aid for Refugees etc., Arising from Political Unrest in the Syrian Arab Republic (May 2012)
• Statement by the Press Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, on the Terrorist Bombing in Damascus (May 2012)
• Meeting between Mr. Koichiro Gemba, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Dr. Burhan Ghalioun, President of the Syrian National Council (May 2012)
• Statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan on Adoption of United Nations' Security Council Resolution on the Syrian Issue (April 2012)
• Statement by the Press Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, on the Situation in Syria (April 2012)
• Statement by the Press Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, on the Proposal on the Syria Crisis by the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria, Kofi Annan (March 2012)
• Statement by the Press Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan on the United Nations Security Council Presidential Statement on Syria (March 2012)
• Temporary Closure of the Embassy of Japan in the Syrian Arab Republic (March 2012)
• Addition of lists for the measures to freeze the assets of President Bashar Al-Assad and his related individuals and entities in Syria (March 2012)
• Emergency Grant Aid for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons by the Political Instability in Syria (February 2012)
• Statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan on the Rejection of the UN Security Council's Resolution on the Syrian Situation (January 2012)
• Extension of the Dispatch of the International Peace Cooperation Corps in the Golan Heights (January 2012)
• Statement by the Press Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, on the Terrorist Bombings in Damascus (December 2011)
• Addition of lists for the measures to freeze the assets of President Bashar Al-Assad and his related individuals and entities in Syria (December 2011)
• Statement by the Press Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, on the Decision Made by the Arab League Emergency Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the Situation in Syria (November 2011)
• Statement by the Press Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, on the Outcome of the Arab League Emergency Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the Situation in Syria (November 2011)
• Implementation of measures to freeze the assets of President Bashar Al-Assad and his related individuals and entities in Syria (September 2011)
• Statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan on the Situation in Syria (August 2011)
• Statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan on the Situation in Syria (August 2011)
• Statement by the Press Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors' Resolution on Syria's Nuclear Issue (June 2011)
• Statement by the Press Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, on Conflicts in the Golan Heights (June 2011)
• Statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan on Japan's Response to Syria (May 2011)
• Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, on Deaths and Injuries of Demonstrators in Syria (April 2011)
• Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan on Clashes between Demonstrators and Security Forces in Syria (April 2011)
• Statement by the Press Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, on Demonstrations in Southern Syria (March 2011)
• Visit to the Middle East by H.E. Mr. Yutaka Iimura, Special Envoy of the Government of Japan for the Middle East (Representative of the Government of Japan) (July 2009)
• Extension of the Dispatch of the International Peace Cooperation Corps in the Golan Heights (July 2009)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on a Bomb Attack in Damascus, Syria (September 2008)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on Ambassador-level Establishment of Diplomatic Relations Between Syria and Lebanon (August 2008)
• Statement by Press Secretary on the announcement of the Government of Israel and Syria regarding the start of indirect peace talks (May 2008)
• Dr. Tatsuo Arima, Special Envoy of the Government of Japan for the Middle East, to Attend the Arab League Summit, and to Visit the State of Israel, the Palestinian Territories, and the United States of America (March 2008)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Rapprochement of the Diplomatic Relation between Republic of Iraq and Syrian Arab Republic (November 2006)
• Visit to Japan of Judo Athletes from the Middle East (January 2006)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon (March 2005)
• Ms Yoriko Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan discusses the case of Japanese hostages with Mr. Farouq Al-Shara', the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Syria, and with Dr Nabeel Sha'ath Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority (April 2004)
• Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi on the Palestinian Suicide Bombings in Israel and Israeli Attack against Syrian Territory (October 2003)
• Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi's Visit to the Middle East (April 2003)
• Statement of Prime Minister Yoshio Mori at the Demise of President Hafez Al-Assad of the Syrian Arab Republic (June 2000)
• Statement by Foreign Minister Yohei Kono on Resumption of Syrian Track (December 1999)

Press Secretary's Press Conference on Syria

• Embassy of Japan in Syria