Japan-Iran Relations
Japan-Iran Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
September 23, 2024
On September 23, commencing at 4:05 p.m. (local time; September 24, 05:05 a.m. JST) for approximately 30 minutes, Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who is visiting New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, held a meeting with H.E. Dr. Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- At the beginning of the meeting, Minister Kamikawa expressed her sincere condolences for the many casualties caused by the explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran.
- Minister Kamikawa stressed the importance of continuing multilayered dialogue between the two sides amidst the ongoing tensions in the Middle East region.
- The two ministers exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East. Minister Kamikawa, while stressing the importance of avoiding exchange of attacks and cycle of violence, urged Iran to exercise maximum restraint. Minister Kamikawa also called on Iran to strongly urge restraint on other relevant entities on which it has influence, such as Hezbollah and the Houthis. In addition, Minister Kamikawa stressed the importance of safety of navigation in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.
- The two ministers exchanged views on the situation regarding Iran’s nuclear issue. Minister Kamikawa, while stating that full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) without delay is essential, urged Iran to take constructive measures to rebuild the nuclear agreement.
- Minister Kamikawa also expressed strong concerns on the issue of Iran's transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia.
- Both sides affirmed to continue the multilayered dialogue between Japan and Iran, including at the foreign ministerial level.