Japan, S. Korea Foreign Chiefs Agree to Cooperate over Hormuz

Seoul, April 3 (Jiji Press)–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 Thursday, 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 pct 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. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]