emirates7 - Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said that the United Arab Emirates is a strategically important country to Japan, especially in energy security.

In a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Minister Hayashi said that his visit to the UAE coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and represents an opportunity to strengthen cooperation in various fields beyond existing energy cooperation and discuss a number of regional and international issues in light of the UAE's presidency of the United Nations Security Council this month.

The Japanese Foreign Minister stressed the importance of Japanese oil imports from the UAE, as the country accounts for nearly a third of total Japanese crude oil imports, asserting the significance of the UAE's role in stabilising the global energy market.

He also stressed that in recent years, the two countries have made progress in a wide range of areas, including new energy such as renewable energy, hydrogen and ammonia, science and technology, education, infrastructure and space.