Japanese Ambassador: Kuwait Foreign Minister's Visit to Our Country Holds Great Significance Amid Current Regional Circumstances
Kuwait is an important country for Japan in ensuring stable energy supplies. Japan launched the Power Asia initiative as a framework to enhance energy security and finance the purchase of crude oil in emergency situations. Japan is promoting the vision of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), which aims to safeguard stability and ensure freedom of navigation.
Japanese Ambassador to Kuwait, Kawai Kenichiro, stated that the current visit of Foreign Minister Sheikh Jara Al-Jaber to Japan is of great significance amid prevailing regional circumstances, reflecting the depth of the strategic partnership and the robustness of bilateral relations, as well as both countries’ commitment to enhancing cooperation and coordination across various fields. The Japanese ambassador noted in a statement that Sheikh Jara’s visit marks the first standalone visit by a Kuwaiti foreign minister to Japan since 2010, expressing his country’s appreciation and gratitude for the minister’s decision to undertake this visit at this particular time.
Sheikh Jara Al-Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Foreign Minister, had previously paid an official visit to Japan. This momentum was further strengthened by the visit of His Highness the Crown Prince, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, to Japan in May 2025, followed by the visit of then-Japanese Foreign Minister Mr. Iwaya Takeshi to Kuwait in September 2025.
Notably, this is the first standalone visit by a Kuwaiti foreign minister to Japan since 2010. Furthermore, amid ongoing regional tensions, Sheikh Jara’s visit to Japan under these circumstances is of considerable importance to both countries, and we wish to convey our respect and gratitude to His Excellency Sheikh Jara for his decision to visit Japan.
During the visit, Sheikh Jara paid a friendly visit to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, delivering a personal message from His Highness Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The warm reception accorded to Sheikh Jara by the Prime Minister underscored Kuwait’s importance to Japan as a partner, highlighting their shared fundamental values of the rule of law, respect for international law, and resolving issues through dialogue with the international community, as well as their joint contribution to addressing international and regional challenges.
Prime Minister Takaichi conveyed to Sheikh Jara her resolve to continue working closely with Kuwait for peace and stability in the Middle East, emphasizing Japan’s desire to play an active role in enhancing the resilience of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries through reconstruction and economic growth.
The strength of relations between the two countries is evident in the numerous communications between Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and His Excellency Sheikh Jara over a short period (phone calls in April and June, and a meeting in Ankara in July). During this meeting, Minister Motegi expressed his appreciation for Kuwait’s efforts to maintain secure and stable energy supplies for the global market amid difficult regional conditions, and specifically conveyed his appreciation and gratitude for the continued stable supply of crude oil from Kuwait to Japan.
He concluded that Foreign Minister Sheikh Jara’s visit to Japan will help support these exchanges between our two countries, and that it is also his responsibility to work on consolidating them here in Kuwait.
