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Japan, Qatar Ministers Agree on Need for Stable Energy Supplies; Motegi, Qatari Prime Minister Al-Thani Affirm Commitment to Cooperation

Courtesy of the Japanese Foreign Ministry
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, right, holds talks with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is both prime minister and foreign minister of Qatar, in Qatar on Tuesday.

By Hirotaka Kuriyama / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

15:52 JST, January 14, 2026

Talks between Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani ended with the two agreeing on the importance of stable energy supplies in Qatar on Tuesday.

During the meeting, Motegi and al-Thani, who also serves as his nation’s foreign minister, discussed issues concerning the Middle East, such as events in Iran and the Gaza Strip.

“Japan will play an active role in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East,” Motegi emphasized. Al Thani responded by saying that Qatar wishes to cooperate with Japan.

Al Thani also stated that Qatar is committed to ensuring stable energy supplies to Japan, which imports crude oil and liquefied natural gas from them.

The two ministers also exchanged views on the situation with regard to North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, and confirmed their commitment to close coordination on that issue.