President Rohani, Japanese PM favor expansion of relations

According to the IRNA correspondent in New York, President Rohani and Prime Minister Abe meanwhile in their meeting exchanged opinion on the most significant regional and international developments.

President Rohani appreciated the Japanese PM for his congratulatory message and for dispatching a representative to his swearing-in ceremony.

Referring to the long history of Tehran-Tokyo relations, he added, “There are good opportunities for the Japanese companies interested in making investments in Iran and we are also ready for consultations and expansion of cooperation in such fields as environmental protection, and campaign against narcotics’ trafficking.”

President Rohani also expressed hope that the Islamic Republic of Irans peaceful nuclear issue would be resolved in the shortest possible time.

The Iranian president one more time ensured the Japanese prime minister of the fully peaceful nature of the nuclear activities of Iran reminding him, “The entire nuclear activates of Iran are conducted under full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and in accordance with the articles of the nuclear NPT.”

He, meanwhile, referred to the illegal and inhumane sanctions imposed against the Iranian nation and expressed hope that they would be lifted as soon as possible.

President Rohani, meanwhile, referred to the Syrian crisis, saying, “Syria is engaged in most perilous civil war and Tehran resorts to its entire capabilities aimed at putting an end to that bloody war.”

Japan’s Prime Minister Abe, too, in the meeting appreciated President Rohani’s policy of direct interactions and friendly, strong relations with various countries, expressing hope that Iran’s nuclear issue would be solved in the shortest possible time.

Shinzo Abe added, “Tokyo is quite hopeful for expansion of comprehensive ties with Iran in the framework of international regulations.”

He, meanwhile, referred to the Syrian crisis and the usage of chemical weapons there, saying, “We, too, feel the threats of chemical weapons and the other weapons of mass destruction (WMD).”

Japans foreign policy towards and investments in Iran have historically been dominated by Tokyo’s desire to secure reliable energy supplies; Iran is Japans third-largest oil supplier after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The balance of trade between Iran and Japan had been heavily weighed in favor of Iran, with Japan exporting automobiles and electrical products and importing petroleum and petrochemical products. As of 2010, Japan cooperated with Iran on several major projects; the annual trade volume of the two states used to exceed $11 billion.

Iran and Japan also cooperate on regional foreign policy issues in the Middle East, such as the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the Zionist-Palestinian conflict. Since 2004, Japan has been working on developing Irans largest on-shore oilfield, located at Azadegan.

Iranian former president Seyyed Mohammad Khatami made a state visit to Japan in October 2000.