Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed has cancelled a visit to Japan due to regional tensions [Getty]
UAE leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan has postponed a much-touted visit to Japan, as the threat of a regional war between the US and Iran continues.
President Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan was due to visit Japan between 8 and 10 February, the first official visit by an Emirati head of state since Sheikh Zayed Al-Nahyan’s trip to Tokyo in 1990.
“The State Visit to Japan by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), scheduled from February 8 to 10, has been postponed following a request from the government of the UAE due to scheduling considerations and ongoing developments in the region,” the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
“The visit of His Highness will be rearranged in coordination between the two countries.”
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the UAE twice in 2013 and 2018, while Sheikh Mohammed made trips to Japan when he served as Abu Dhabi’s crown prince.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara confirmed the news on Tuesday and said efforts were underway to reschedule the visit, although no date has yet been set.
“The government intends to continue advancing cooperation with the UAE across a wide range of fields under our comprehensive strategic partnership,” he said.
The UAE and Japan have strengthened relations in recent years, with Abu Dhabi one of the biggest oil suppliers to Tokyo, and signed the ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Initiative’ in 2022, in efforts to bolster political and economic ties.
Bachar El-Halabi, a UAE-based journalist, highlighted how the cancellation of the anticipated visit highlights worrying regional tensions, as Iran and the US continue their military face-off in the Gulf.
“Just last week in Abu Dhabi, UAE officials stressed to me how significant this visit was expected to be for bilateral ties,” the journalist tweeted.
“Preparations were well advanced, and MbZ was due to travel with a large Emirati delegation. The visit would also have marked the first Emirati state visit to Japan in 36 years.”
Talks will take place on Friday between the US and Iran on Tehran’s nuclear programme and other issues, with top regional diplomats expected to attend, including from the UAE.
The UAE recently urged de-escalation as a huge US armada headed to the Gulf, poised for strikes on Iran, with the president’s advisor, Anwar Gargash, warning on Tuesday that strikes on Iran would lead to regional turmoil.
“I think that the region has gone through various calamitous confrontations. I don’t think we need another one, but I would like to see direct Iranian-American negotiations leading to understandings so that we don’t have these issues every other day,” said the UAE president’s advisor, Anwar Gargash.
“They need to rebuild their relationship with the United States. I think through reaching a deal, a political deal, a wider geo-strategic deal that will actually be beneficial to the area, the Iranians are also helping themselves in ultimately, what they need, which is to rebuild their economy.”
AloJapan.com