ALBAWABA – The Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Fumio Kishida arrived in the United Arab Emirates, the UAE, on Monday to discuss cooperation on clean hydrogen, ammonia and recycled carbon fuels ahead of this year's UN climate talks in Dubai, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
The United Nations (UN) climate talks, COP28, are approaching, which are to be hosted by the UAE in Dubai, November through December 2023.
Kishida is arriving from Saudi Arabia, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday. After talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, he will head to Qatar on Tuesday.
The Japanese PM plans to offer Japan's "cutting-edge decarbonisation technologies" as part of a green energy initiative for the Middle East, he said in an open letter carried by UAE official news agency WAM.
Under the initiative, the UAE and Japan "will be well placed to collaborate in the related fields of hydrogen and ammonia production and utilisation as well as carbon recycling", Kishida added.
On Sunday, the PM discussed energy security with senior Saudi officials including Prince Mohammed in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, official Saudi statements said.
Japan relies almost entirely on imports for its crude oil, with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar accounting for the bulk of its supplies, AFP reported.
"The Kingdom, based on its commitment to the strategic relationship with Japan in the field of energy, will continue to ensure the security of oil supplies to Japan," Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Sunday, in comments published on his ministry's website.
The prime minister was due to visit Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar in August last year, but he postponed the trip after contracting the coronavirus.
His trip comes at a time of deepening engagement between the region and China which brokered a shock detente between Gulf rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran in March.
