Cairo — The 3rd session of the Arab-Japanese ministerial dialogue was held, here Tuesday, in the presence of Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, his Arab peers and Secretary General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
During this meeting, Morocco was represented by a large delegation led by minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita.
This session takes place pursuant to the memorandum of cooperation signed between the Arab League and the Japanese ministry of Foreign Affairs in September 2013, establishing a mechanism for cooperation and political consultation between the two parties at the level of foreign ministers.
Discussions focused on coordination and exchange of views on regional and international issues of common interest, particularly in political and economic fields.
On this occasion, the Japanese Foreign Minister said that this meeting is convened at a moment when major developments occur on the world stage, such as the war in Ukraine and the growing tensions in East Asia, deeming it "unacceptable any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force."
Yoshimasa called for pooling efforts to promote a free and open international order based on the rule of law, noting the emergence of a momentum of cooperation in different regions.
He also called upon the international community to adapt its cooperation to the evolving situation prevailing in the Middle East, expressing his country's aspiration to promote its relations with the Arab world at different levels, focusing particularly on three strategic pillars: "cooperation for prosperity and development", "the Middle East peacebuilding initiative" and "efforts through dialogue and practice to preserve and strengthen a free and open international order based on the rule of law".
For his part, the Arab League Secretary General highlighted the role of dialogue and communication in strengthening mutual trust and consolidating relations of friendship and cooperation between States, adding that the volume of trade between Arab countries and Japan amounted to approximately $114 billion in 2022, making Japan the third largest trading partner of several Arab countries and one of the most important investors in the Arab region.
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Aboul Gheit said that the meeting is taking place in a rapidly evolving global context, marked by multidimensional challenges, which requires continuous coordination and consultation to identify the best response strategies to global and regional issues.
