Section 6 The Middle East and North Africa

Overview

The Middle East and North Africa is situated in a geopolitically important location at the intersection of Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, and South Asia. This region contains major international maritime routes for international commerce, and is also an important supplier of energy resources, including crude oil and natural gas, to the rest of the world. On the other hand, the region faces a number of destabilizing issues such as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other violent extremist groups, the vast numbers of refugees that are flowing into nearby regions, the prolongation of the crisis in Syria, the situation in Iraq, the Middle East Peace Process, the tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the situation surrounding Qatar, and domestic conditions in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Libya. Achieving peace and stability in this region is of great importance for the world as a whole, including Japan. Japan is working with the global community to resolve these issues. Japan is also working with the global community in areas such as humanitarian aid, stabilization assistance, and mid- and long-term development cooperation while encouraging related countries to engage in initiatives aimed at achieving regional stability.

Japan relies on the Middle East for more than 80% of its crude oil imports and has developed ties with countries in the Middle East and North Africa region (hereinafter, “countries in the Middle East”) that have centered on resources and energy. Today, however, beyond these relationships Japan works to build more multi-layered ones in the areas such as wide-ranging economic cooperation, politics and security, and culture and people-to-people exchanges. Prime Minister Abe has visited this region six times since the inauguration of the second Abe administration in December 2012. Foreign Minister Kono has also visited the region four times since taking on his current position in August 2017. There have also been a number of high-level visits, meetings, and talks, and the Government of Japan is working more proactively to strengthen ties with countries in the region.

In particular, Foreign Minister Kono has given strong commitment to this region as one of six pillars of his foreign policy. He outlined his “Kono Four Principles¹,” -basic Middle East policies based on Japan's achievements so far in the region at the first Japan-Arab Political Dialogue, held in Egypt in September 2017. The four principles are: (1) intellectual and human contribution, (2) investment in people, (3) enduring efforts, and (4) enhancing political efforts.

The First Japan-Arab Political Dialogue (September 11, Cairo, Egypt)

The Middle East Peace Process has stagnated since negotiations between Israel and Palestine faltered in April 2014. Japan is utilizing its friendly relations with countries in the Middle East to provide support from an impartial perspective aimed at resolving the issue of peace in the Middle East. At a series of summit meetings and foreign ministerial meetings held during high-level visits, Japan has expressed its support for finding a resolution through dialogue between both parties and is working to encourage peace negotiations. Japan has also made steady progress with its own efforts to provide support to the Palestinians, including the “Corridor for Peace and Prosperity” initiative and the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD). With the announcement in December 2017 by U.S. president Trump that the U.S. Embassy in Israel would be relocated to Jerusalem, the circumstances surrounding the issue of peace in the Middle East have become more complicated. This led Foreign Minister Kono to visit Israel and Palestine to lobby both sides.

Although the area controlled by ISIL is decreasing in size, violent extremism continues to be a source of instability for the Middle East and is a serious issue for the international community as a whole. Since the beginning of the crisis in Syria, Japan has provided support worth more than 1.9 billion US dollars in total to Syria, Iraq, and other neighboring countries, including the provision of yen loans to Turkey and Jordan, which have been affected by an influx of Syrian refugees. Japan has used a number of opportunities, including the first Japan-Arab Political Dialogue (held in September 2017), to show a stance to support the creation of inclusive societies that do not produce violent extremism, through providing humanitarian aid to refugees and displaced persons, improving economic infrastructure, developing human resources, and so on.

With regard to Iran, the “Implementation Day” of the final agreement on the nuclear issue was reached in January 2016, and the U.S. and the EU partially suspended or terminated sanctions against Iran. Following the final agreement, Japan has continued to support the nuclear agreement which would strengthen the global non-proliferation system and contribute to stability in the Middle East. Japan is making efforts to further strengthen relations with Iran following the implementation of the agreement through cooperation to encourage the steady implementation of the final agreement by Iran and the conclusion of the bilateral investment agreement.

In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Egypt, and other countries announced termination of diplomatic relations with Qatar for a number of reasons including Qatar's support for terrorism. Japan supports mediation efforts by Kuwait and calls for a resolution through dialogue, emphasizing the importance of the unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for peace and stability in the Middle East.

In recent years, the Middle Eastern countries have achieved steady economic development due to their rapidly growing youth population, and have been increasing their presence as a consumer market and an investment destination. Therefore, Japan has been working on establishing legal frameworks such as the EPA, FTA, investment agreements, tax agreements, and social security agreements, which are foundations for strengthening the economic and business relationships with the Middle East countries. Additionally, Japan has been promoting infrastructure projects in the region.

• 1 The address given by Foreign Minister Kono, at the First Japan-Arab Political Dialogue in September 2017. URL: http://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000288921.pdf