UAE President and Prime Minister of Japan cement historic bilateral relations

The UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida today underscored the strength of UAE-Japan relations during a meeting in Abu Dhabi. Their discussions took place at Qasr Al Watan following an official reception ceremony to mark the start of Prime Minister Kishida's official visit to the UAE.

The President welcomed the Prime Minister of Japan, expressing his confidence that the visit would consolidate the robust and longstanding partnership between the two nations and support their shared vision for a sustainable and prosperous future. Sheikh Mohamed noted that bilateral relations with Japan date back to before the foundation of the UAE, and that last year the two sides celebrated the 50th anniversary of the official establishment of diplomatic ties.

Last year, the UAE and Japan signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marking a significant development in bilateral relations. This agreement, Sheikh Mohamed remarked, was a milestone that heralded the start of the next 50 years of increasing collaboration, especially in the fields of the economy, trade, technology, energy, space, and education.

The two sides discussed a number of regional and international developments, with Sheikh Mohamed highlighting that the UAE and Japan share a common goal of supporting peace and stability through building bridges of cooperation and dialogue. He referenced both countries' membership of the United Nations Security Council that works to enable further coordination to promote peace and the diplomatic resolution of conflicts worldwide.

The President confirmed that the UAE is looking forward to Japan's active participation at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai later this year, noting Japan's longstanding role in advancing climate action, including its hosting of COP3 and being associated with one of the most significant protocols to combat climate change: the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

Prime Minister Kishida thanked Sheikh Mohamed for the warm welcome afforded to him and his delegation, and expressed his happiness to be visiting the UAE. He also conveyed to the President the greetings of His Majesty Naruhito, the Emperor of Japan.

The Prime Minister spoke of the deep, enduring bonds between the UAE and Japan and expressed his sincere wish to continue working with Sheikh Mohamed to further elevate these ties for the benefit of both nations and their people.

The Japanese Prime Minister wrote an entry in the VIP guestbook, expressing his hopes for further development in UAE-Japan relations in the future. Following the meeting, a luncheon was held in honour of the visit of the Japanese Prime Minister and his accompanying delegation.