Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended the enthronement ceremony of Japan’s Emperor Naruhito at Tokyo’s Imperial Palace’s Pine Room yesterday, in the presence of royals and rulers from more than 180 countries across the world. As Emperor Naruhito completed his accession to the Chrisanthemum Throne in a ceremony steeped in traditions and grandeur, it was the dawn of a new era called Reiwa (beautiful harmony) in Japan.
H H the Amir’s presence at the ceremony was a testament to the historical and deep-rooted ties between Qatar and Japan. Both countries are nurturing wide ranging relations in diverse fields, especially in economy, science and commerce, and Japan is one of the leading partners of Qatar in energy supply.
H H the Amir had visited Japan in January this year during which a number of agreements were signed in different fields. A joint declaration was also signed on the establishment of a strategic dialogue mechanism between the governments of Qatar and Japan to strengthen the existing relations and encourage cooperation in all fields.
In a recent statement, Japan’s Embassy in Qatar said that Japan attaches the highest level of importance to Qatar as the third largest supplier of LNG to Japan. On the other hand, Japan is also the number one trade partner of Qatar with a trade volume reaching $16bn in 2018 with a growth rate up to 23 percent from the 2017 trade volume, which was $13.1bn. In the statement, Japan also appreciated Qatar’s diplomatic efforts which contribute to the stabilisation of the region and its pro-active diplomacy which never fails to impact positively on not only the Qatari side but also the counterpart countries.
Qatar’s Ambassador to Japan, Hassan bin Mohammed Rafi Al Emadi, in an interview with PanOrient News in Tokyo said that H H the Amir’s current visit is of great importance in terms of timing, content and ties between the two countries. The visit cements the relations of trust and mutual respect between the leaderships of the two countries and enhances decades-old friendship between His Highness and Emperor Naruhito, who visited Qatar in 1994, when he was crown prince.
The leadership of Qatar is keen to nurture its relations with other countries and embraces every chance to develop these ties. Whether it is in celebrations or hardships, the country always stands firmly with its partner and friendly countries, holding fast to its much-appreciated policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Qatar respects and holds in high esteem the sovereignty of other countries, keeping all international rules, charters and precedents.
Qatar’s friendship with Japan is on the right path and it will only flourish and prosper in the era of Reiwa.
