Japan says cooperation with Azerbaijan “increasingly important”

Cooperation between Japan and Azerbaijan in the economic sphere, particularly in the energy sector, is becoming increasingly important amid growing concerns over stable energy supplies, Japan’s Foreign Ministry has stated at a reception in Tokyo marking Azerbaijan’s Independence Day.

Tomoaki Shimada, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, said Japan intends to further develop relations with Azerbaijan, relying also on exchanges in sports and culture as a basis of friendship, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

Japan has recently received a tanker carrying crude oil from Azerbaijan, marking the first such shipment in recent weeks, amid heightened regional tensions.

The tanker delivered approximately 45,000 kiloliters of crude oil, equivalent to around 16% of Japan’s daily oil consumption.

The delivery forms part of Tokyo’s broader strategy to diversify its energy supply sources amid concerns over instability affecting shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov