[Provisional translation]
On April 17, Ms. TAKAICHI Sanae, Prime Minister of Japan, issued a written message as follows for the virtual leaders meeting of the Freedom of Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which was hosted by France and the United Kingdom.
- Japan expresses its appreciation for the initiatives undertaken by France and the United Kingdom.
- We welcome the ongoing talks between the United States and Iran as a positive development and support the mediation efforts by relevant countries.
- The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic chokepoint for global logistics and an international public good. It is essential that stability in the Strait of Hormuz is restored as soon as possible and that the freedom and safety of navigation for vessels of all nations is ensured. Japan has been making necessary diplomatic efforts to this end.
- In addition, ensuring the safety of vessels and crew members currently retained in the Persian Gulf remains an urgent priority. To this end, in March, Japan led a proposal at the IMO encouraging the establishment of safe maritime corridors, which received broad support from many countries.
- Under the current situation, in which the stable supply of energy is under threat, it is crucial for countries that share such concerns to cooperate in responding to the situation. From this viewpoint, Japan launched “POWERR Asia” —a framework aimed at strengthening the resilience of supply chains for energy and critical goods in Asia—on April 15th, and announced approximately 10 billion dollars in financial cooperation.
- Japan will continue to work closely with the international community, including relevant countries and international organizations, and remains committed to taking all possible measures within its capacity.