Japan-Iran Relations
Japan-Iran Summit Meeting
June 12, 2019
Prime Minister attending the welcome ceremony 1
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office
Prime Minister attending the welcome ceremony 2
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office
Prime Minister attending the welcome ceremony 3
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office
On June 12, Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, held a Japan-Iran summit meeting with H.E. Dr. Hassan Rouhani, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, during his visit to Iran. The overview of the meeting is as follows (small group meeting: from 6:00 p.m. for approximately 80 minutes; expanded meeting: from 7:40 p.m. for approximately 60 minutes; dinner: from 9:40 p.m. for approximately 60 minutes).
leaders shaking hands
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office
Prime Minister heading to the summit meeting
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office
1 Small group meeting
Japan-Iran Summit Meeting 1
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office
Japan-Iran Summit Meeting 2
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office
- At the small group meeting, Prime Minister Abe began by expressing his gratitude for the invitation to visit Iran and his pleasure to be able to visit the country. In response, President Rouhani welcomed Prime Minister Abe’s visit.
- Prime Minister Abe conveyed to President Rouhani that peace and stability in the Middle East are essential not only for this region, but also for global prosperity, that no one wants military clashes, and that he decided to visit Iran at this timing in order to ease tensions in response to the heightening of tensions. In response, President Rouhani welcomed Japan’s efforts to ease tensions and stated that Iran does not wish for war.
2 Expanded meeting
Japan-Iran Summit Meeting 3
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office
Japan-Iran Summit Meeting 4
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office
(1) Opening remarks
At the beginning, Prime Minister Abe stated that he was honored to visit Iran for the first time in the past 41 years by a Japanese Prime Minister, on this milestone year of the 90th anniversary of the establishment of Japan-Iran diplomatic relations.
(2) Bilateral relations
At the expanded meeting, a discussion was held on the bilateral relations as well. Prime Minister Abe stated that Japan would continue to give priority to extending cooperation that benefits the people of Iran in such areas as medical care, environment, and disaster risk reduction.
In this context, Prime Minister Abe announced Japan’s additional emergency humanitarian assistance for the flooding in Iran in April, and President Rouhani expressed appreciation for such Japanese assistance.
In addition, Prime Minister Abe stated that Japan intends to strengthen bilateral relations in cultural, people-to-people, and sports exchanges, and the two leaders shared the view on steadily maintaining and deepening their historically friendly relationship.
(3) Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and regional affairs
Discussion was also held on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Prime Minister Abe stated that Japan has consistently supported the JCPOA, appreciated Iran’s continuous cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and noted that Japan expects Iran to continue to implement the JCPOA. Furthermore, Prime Minister Abe requested Iran, as a major power in the region, to fulfill a constructive role for the stabilization of the Middle East. In response, President Rouhani expressed appreciation for Japan’s consistent support of the JCPOA. President Rouhani noted that Iran does not seek to revoke the JCPOA and that Iran prohibits nuclear weapons and is not pursuing them.
Japan-Iran joint press announcement 1
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office
Japan-Iran joint press announcement 2
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office
Japan-Iran joint press announcement 3
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office
3 Dinner
The dinner was held in a friendly atmosphere. Both sides frankly exchanged views regarding a range of areas of the bilateral relationship.