JAPAN-IRAN: Foreign Minister’s Visit Signals New Warmth in Ties

By Suvendrini Kakuchi Reprint | | Print |

Suvendrini Kakuchi

TOKYO, Aug 13 1999 (IPS) - Next week’s visit by the Japanese foreign minister, Masahiko Komura, to Iran reflects Tokyo’s desire to rekindle ties with a country it had been cool to largely because of past objections from the United States.

Japanese officials also say Komura’s upcoming trip, first to Iran then Turkey, also signals Japan’s desire to deepen relations with the region.

He leaves for Tehran on Monday, Aug 16. Komura will be the first Japanese foreign minister to visit Iran in nearly eight years.

“Japan is very keen to develop closer ties with Iran and the Middle East. With the new Iranian government Komura will present this view,” says Hitoshi Suzuki, an expert on Iran at the Institute of Developing Economies here.

At a press conference Thursday, Komura said he intends to exchange views on bilateral and regional issues with counterparts and other top officials of Iran and Turkey. He will do the same when he goes to Austria afterwards.

In Tehran, Komura will meet with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazzi.

Tokyo officials say the environment for high-level dialogue between the two countries is in response to Tehran easing its grip on dissident activities, and in recognition of the moderate policies of the Khatami administration formed in 1997.

Diplomats here also say that Japan hopes to encourage Iran’s pursuit of better ties with different countries, including the European Union and the United States that the Khatami government has been pursuing.

That approach has generated some opposition within Iran, where it is among the factors playing out in what appears to be an going battle between reformists and conservative forces on where the country should be headed.

The resumption of economic ties with foreign countries may well also make a difference depending on the benefits they are seen to bring.

Japan’s foreign ministry says Komura is expected to pledge the resumption of yen-dominated loans to Iran, which have been frozen since 1993 due to American objections.

Officials also said Komura also intends to reiterate international concerns over the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and missiles.

Komura accepted an invitation to visit Iran when Iranian Foreign Minister Kharrazi visited Tokyo in December 1998. That trip itself was a landmark move, being the first by an Iranian foreign minister in 11 years.

Japan has other strategic interests in the Middle East.

The Persian Gulf region provides about 80 percent of Japan’s crude oil imports. Iran and Saudi Arabia together are the largest suppliers, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the total.

Despite Japan’s keen desire to pursue a closer relationship over the years, ties between Tokyo and Tehran have failed to develop smoothly as a result of American objections.

Washington has pursued a policy of “dual containment” against Iran and Iraq, accusing Iran of sponsoring terrorism, sabotaging the Middle East peace process and developing destructive weapons. Tehran has consistently denied the charges.

But last year, Washington dropped Iran from its list of countries that produce and traffic drugs and also partially lifted its ban on exports by American companies to the country.

Tokyo viewed easing of restrictions — a legacy of broken US ties with Iran that were broken two decades ago over the hostage- taking of Americans in Tehran for 444 days — as a green light for going ahead with its own relations with Iran.

The last time Japan provided Iran with yen loans was in May 1993, when it extended 38.6 billion yen (338.6 million U.S. dollars) as the first of three installments toward the financing of a dam project in the Karun River in southern Iran.

Japan suspended the next loan of 45 billion yen (421 million dollars) in 1994 under formidable pressure from Washington. The total pledged is 120 billion yen (1.05 billion dollars).

This week, the foreign ministry did not say whether Tokyo will pledge the next installment during Komura’s visit. But Japanese media reports that some 6 billion in yen loans (52.6 million dollars) would be promised as part of the pledge.

Likewise, trade relations with Iran have not developed over few years in the wake of weak diplomatic ties. Exports to Iran between 1996 and 1997 totalled 800 million dollars, with imports much higher at 3.5 billion dollars.

Apart from crude oil, Iranian carpets are now entering Japan. In contrast Iran buys electronic goods and other products such as automobiles.

Suzuki explained that isolated Iran need greater Japanese private investment in order to boost its economy, thus its reaching out to foreign countries. “With the resumption of official yen loans, Japanese private companies will begin investing more in Iran,” he explains.

In fact, Suzuki adds, Japan, the world’s largest donor, is ready to go ahead with official development assistance to Iran but there remains “lingering concern” about the US reaction.

Still, Tokyo is looking ahead to cultivating ties with other countries, including Libya.

In May this year, after the removal of UN-imposed economic sanctions against Libya, the Japanese government sent a signed letter from Komura to his Libyan counterpart Mustafa Muntasar expressing intention to strengthen political and economic ties.

No doubt, one reason behind the Tokyo government’s rapprochement with Libya is recognition of the need for healthy ties given the approximately 23 billion barrels of petroleum reserves held by the North African nation.