Japan stresses opposition to Iran’s nuclear development
Japan stressed its opposition to any nuclear weapons development program by Iran on Sunday (March 1) while indicating some understanding of the US and Israeli military strikes against Iran that began the previous day.
"Iran's nuclear weapons development cannot be tolerated at all," Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference in the small hours of Sunday.
Talks between the United States and Iran are "extremely important for resolving the Iranian nuclear issue, and our country has strongly supported these discussions," he said.
Underlining the significance of the nuclear nonproliferation regime, he said, "Iran should stop its development of nuclear weapons and its actions to destabilise the region."
Kihara also observed, "Japan respects values and principles such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law as its basic stance."
Meanwhile, he did not comment on the actions of the United States and Israel.
Before this, the government held a National Security Council meeting at the prime minister's office, attended by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and others.
Participants agreed to gather information in cooperation with related countries.
The meeting lasted more than an hour.
Japan, which relies on the Middle East for over 90 per cent of its crude oil imports, has strived to maintain good relations with oil-producing countries.
It also has long-standing friendly ties with Iran.
Meanwhile, the United States is Japan's only ally.
The latest strikes against Iran are expected to leave a significant impact on both the economic and national security fronts.
"Peace and stability in the Middle East are extremely important for our country," Kihara said, showing the intention to secure energy supplies. "We'll make all necessary diplomatic efforts in coordination with the international community to calm the situation as soon as possible."
He added, "We've not received any report of an immediate impact on the supply and demand of oil."
Kihara said the government will take all possible measures to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals in the Middle East, adding that work is underway to assess the situation at sea and in the air for potential evacuation routes.
Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters, "The Self-Defence Forces are always ready to dispatch troops promptly to transport Japanese nationals quickly and appropriately."
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
