Japan, Mozambique Confirm Cooperation in LNG Project

Jiji Press

15:41 JST, May 5, 2023

MAPUTO, Mozambique (Jiji Press) — Japan on Thursday agreed to help Mozambique resume its liquefied natural gas development project, one of the biggest such projects in Africa.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Mozambique’s president, Filipe Nyusi, confirmed the cooperation at a meeting in Maputo, the capital of the African country.

In the project, whose investors include Japanese trading house Mitsui & Co. , construction work is being halted mainly due to a deterioration in the local security situation.

“Our country will implement assistance to help restore stability of the local area,” Kishida told a joint news conference with Nyusi.

The two leaders agreed to encourage the private sector so that Japanese companies will invest more in Mozambique.

Kishida and Nyusi also discussed the Ukrainian crisis. According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Mozambique abstained from voting on all U.N. resolutions against Russia related to the crisis.

Kishida told Nyusi that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a clear violation of international law and is therefore unacceptable.

The two leaders confirmed the importance of the rule of law and the need to maintain and strengthen international order.

They also shared their opposition to nuclear threats and any use of nuclear weapons by Russia.

The two agreed on cooperation at the United Nations as both Japan and Mozambique serve as nonpermanent members of the U.N. Security Council.