Japan, South Korea reaffirm cooperation over Strait of Hormuz
In a phone call, the foreign ministers stressed secure navigation, stable energy supplies and closer coordination as Middle East tensions persist.
- Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers reaffirmed their cooperation to ensure security and safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz during a phone call.
- The ministers agreed that safe passage through the strait is extremely important for the security and economies of both nations, particularly for stable energy supplies.
- South Korea relies on the Middle East for approximately 70% of its crude oil imports, making the waterway's security a shared critical concern with Japan.
- The two officials agreed to maintain close communication regarding the situation in the Middle East and the security of the strait.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and his South Korean counterpart, Cho Hyun, have reaffirmed cooperation to ensure security and safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a roughly 20-minute phone call on Thursday (April 2), the two foreign ministers discussed the situation in the Middle East and ways to ensure stable energy supplies and secure critical goods.
According to the South Korean Foreign Ministry, the ministers shared the view that safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transportation waterway, is extremely important for the security and economies of Japan and South Korea.
South Korea relies on the Middle East for roughly 70 per cent of its crude oil imports and, like Japan, is significantly affected by Iran's de facto blockade of the strait. The ministers agreed to maintain close communication.
Motegi and Cho agreed that South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's visit to the western Japan prefecture of Nara in January for a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was a success.
They affirmed a policy to continue the two countries' "shuttle diplomacy," or reciprocal visits by their leaders, to develop stable and future-oriented bilateral relations.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
