Top > What's up around the Prime Minister > June, 2005

Japan-Qatar Summit Meeting Wednesday, June 8, 2005 JAPANESE Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi held a meeting with His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. At the meeting, the two leaders discussed such topics as their bilateral relations, the regional situation in the Middle East, the oil situation and the United Nations (UN) reform. With regard to bilateral relations, Amir Hamad remarked, "Qatar is enthusiastically engaging in efforts to develop our relations with Japan," and requested that Qatar Airways' weekly flights to Kansai International Airport be increased from the current four to seven. To this, Prime Minister Koizumi responded that he highly welcomes this proposal. As for the issue of peace in the Middle East, Amir Hamad expressed his strong appreciation for Japan's position to place emphasis on its dialogues with the Middle Eastern countries. He shared that Qatar welcomes the activities of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) in Iraq by saying, "It is widely known in Qatar that the SDF is providing humanitarian assistance and is not an occupation force." Prime Minister Koizumi said, "Japan intends to advance its cooperative efforts with the international community towards coexistence and co-prosperity of Palestine and Israel in order to realize peace in the Middle East. Iraq can only be reconstructed by the Iraqi people themselves. The international community is willing to provide cooperation should Iraq demonstrate a friendly attitude." As for UN reform, Prime Minister Koizumi commented, "The momentum for the reform of the UN Security Council is on the rise now. I ask for Qatar's cooperation in realizing the reform." To this, Amir Hamad stated, "Qatar has been supporting Japan's bid to become a permanent member of the Security Council since 1999. It is our intention to continue to cooperate with Japan for the reform."