Japan and US discuss energy security cooperation amid Strait of Hormuz closure

Tokyo — Senior officials from Japan and the United States discussed energy security cooperation on Saturday as oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have effectively ceased amid conflict in the Middle East.

Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Ryosei Akazawa and US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum held bilateral negotiations in Tokyo during a two-day energy security forum attended by ministers, business leaders, and officials from dozens of countries.

At the start of the bilateral meeting, Akazawa stated he hoped the joint Japan-US forum would “be the first step towards new energy security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.”

He also referenced the situation in the narrow waterway through which the majority of Middle Eastern oil destined for Asia passes.

Akazawa expressed his desire to discuss the development of medium and long-term energy infrastructure based on developments emerging from the current crisis. He noted that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has threatened navigation during the ongoing US-Israel conflict against the country, underscores the risks of excessive dependence on particular regions or technologies.

Burgum, who also serves as chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, emphasised the importance of critical minerals and pledged to ensure energy security in that sector as well as in electricity and liquid fuels.

He stated there were numerous investment opportunities to advance critical mineral security for both nations, including multiple business agreements and investments expected to be signed before the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministers and Business Forum concludes on Sunday.