Japan, U.S. discuss energy security cooperation

TOKYO — Top Japanese and U.S. officials on Saturday discussed cooperation on energy security at a time when oil and gas shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively halted amid the conflict in the Middle East.

Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa and U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum held talks in Tokyo on the sidelines of an energy security forum attended by government ministers, business leaders and others from over a dozen countries.

Akazawa said at the bilateral meeting's outset, which was open to the media, he hopes the two-day event cohosted by Japan and the United States "will be the first step of a new energy security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific," while touching on the situation in the narrow waterway through which most Middle East oil destined for Asia is shipped.

Akazawa also expressed eagerness to discuss the development of mid- and long-term energy infrastructure based on lessons emerging from the current crisis, saying the situation, in which Iran has threatened shipping in the strait during the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war against the country, underscores the risks of relying too heavily on a specific region or technology.

Burgum, who is also chairman of the National Energy Dominance Council, underscored the importance of critical minerals, vowing to ensure energy security in that sector as well as for electricity and liquid fuels.

He said there are many investment opportunities to advance critical mineral security for the two countries, with many business and investment deals expected to be signed at the event dubbed the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial and Business Forum before it ends on Sunday.

© KYODO