The G7 summit opened on Saturday evening in the French resort of Biarritz as the leaders met at a closed-door dinner.
According to NHK, Japanese government officials say that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe touched upon his visit to Iran in June.
He is said to have expressed grave concern over Iran’s uranium enrichment level exceeding the limit.
And the officials say that he stressed Japan’s determination to continue with diplomatic efforts.
The leaders, reportedly, concurred that nobody wants war. It seems that the leaders did not discuss the international coalition in the Strait of Hormuz which Washington is proposing.
In mid-July, as tensions between the United States and Iran continued to simmer, the possibility of Japanese participation in a US-led maritime coalition to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz became a hot topic of debate in Tokyo, even before the Japanese government publicly confirmed that the US had asked for its assistance. When US Defense Secretary Mark Esper visited Tokyo earlier in August, he requested Japan’s participation in such a maritime coalition. Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya informed Esper that Japan would make a decision after considering various factors, including Japan’s need to ensure its energy security, maintain its positive ties with Iran.
In June, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe became the first Japanese leader to visit Iran since the overthrow of the shah in 1979, but there was no tangible breakthrough at that time. Abe will have another chance at Iran diplomacy in September, when he is expected to meet President Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
- source : Mehrnews
