Japan-Qatar Relations
Japan-Qatar Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
December 15, 2018



On December 15, commencing at 4:45 p.m. (local time; 10:45 p.m. Japan time) for approximately 15 minutes, Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a meeting with H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, during his visit to Qatar. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- At the outset, Minister Mohammed welcomed Minister Kono to Qatar. In response, Minister Kono stated that Qatar is one of the most reliable suppliers of liquefied natural gas to Japan, and expressed his intention to further strengthen bilateral relations not only in energy but in a wide range of fields.
- Minister Kono also expressed his gratitude for Qatar’s cooperation in the release of the Japanese journalist who had been captured in Syria, to which Minister Mohammed replied that Minister Kono should think nothing of it and that it was only natural that Qatar would extend such assistance to a friend.
- In addition, the two ministers exchanged views on the situations in East Asia and the Middle East.