Japan, U.S. to discuss Iran sanctions
TOKYO —
Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba said Tuesday that Japan and the United States will discuss the issue of sanctions on Iran. Gemba said that Tokyo—worried about securing stable oil supplies from the Gulf region—is very concerned over escalating tensions with Iran and called for a diplomatic solution.
Gemba said that senior officials from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Foreign and Finance Ministries will meet with their counterparts from the U.S. State and Treasury departments in Washington on Thursday, Fuji TV reported.
Gemba said Japan wants Washington to exempt Japanese banks from its sanctions against Iran. The sanctions would bar financial institutions from the American market if they do business with Iran’s central bank.
“We believe that we should solve the problem diplomatically and peacefully. That is why dialogue with Iran should continue,” he said.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Jun Azumi has expressed concern about the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions on Iran and their potential impact on Japanese banks.
Japan has given mixed signals on the sanctions. Last mointh, Azumi declared that Japan would move quickly to reduce its oil imports from Iran after meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, but the next day, other officials, including Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, said economic implications need to be considered.
Japan imports about 9% of its oil from Iran and has been steadily reducing that percentage in recent years. Analysts say Japan will likely turn to other major oil suppliers to offset any further declines from Iran.
Azumi said he understood the potential danger of Iran’s nuclear program, but also acknowledged “there were some concerns” that the sanctions would not be effective in convincing Iranian authorities.
He added that “Russia and China hold the keys to resolving this situation.”
China, the world’s biggest energy consumer, remains unwilling to back an oil embargo against Iran. South Korea also has remained non-committal.
Japan Today/AP
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16 Comments
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1
Ben_Jackinoff
I assume this will mean the US talks and Japan listens.
1
MaboDofuIsSpicy
Good for South Korea. They have conolis.
The Japanese bow to America.
-1
nec123a
...No hello Kitty for you!
-1
miyazawa3
No discussion with Japan....
Japan has nothing to say. Just agree only...... what ever US says in EEnngglliisshh....
-3
just-a-bigguy
Who is going to believe the Saudis has sufficient oil deposit to fill the supply(for asian countries) leave by Iran? For China, she has the fist to say 'NO'...for Japan is know-towing!
-2
smithinjapan
"Japan has given mixed signals on the sanctions. Last mointh, Azumi declared that Japan would move quickly to reduce its oil imports from Iran after meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, but the next day, other officials, including Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, said economic implications need to be considered."
That's being rather euphemistic, I'd say. Azumi did indeed declare that Japan would move quickly to reduce its oil imports from Iran and the next day Gemba and Noda said it was 'simply Azuma's opinion' and did a 180. Japan wants to have its cake and eat it too, and suddenly their tough talk towards Iran (or joining in the tough talk, anyway) has taken a back seat to wanting 'peace and diplomacy'. Japan can either stick up to the US and stick to their guns (something they have never really done) and have their banks banned as a result, or cut oil imports and go with most of the rest of the world on the sanction path. You can't say, "We agree to sanctions on Iran, but will not take part, but we do not think our banks should be banned as a result -- only the banks of other nations that don't take part in the sanctions!"
Japan's probably rushing to get oil from elsewhere so that they can say, "It was always our intention to lessen imports from Iran" and pretend to mean it.
0
notasap
Does Japan want to jump in bed with Iran? Does Japan want to stand with Korea, whose citizen's hatred of Japan is continually making the front page news or with China, whose hatred of Japan is used by that government to hurt Japanese business whenever there is a dispute between the two nations, as we saw when their illegal fishermen were detained?
That is the question.
Japan may need oil, but it needs a good relationship with the world largest economy, the USA, even more. One hopes that the current Japanese leadership is not as short sighted as its leadership of 70 years ago. The USA will triumph over Iran and those who sided with Iran will have less footing to stand on when dealing with the USA afterwards
2
gelendestrasse
I don't think Japan wants to jump into bed with Iran. But with all the issues with the nuke power plants and an already tight economy having the price of oil products go up isn't going to help Japan in the least. Plus, what does Japan have to fear from Iran? I think the government realized the problems that an Iranian oil embargo would cause and decided to drag their feet. Since it seems that Iran might go back to negotiating before the embargo takes hold this is probably a good strategy.
1
YuriOtani
notasap, if Japan loses this supply they are in deep trouble. China and Korea will use this to increase their exports at the expense of Japan. Now if the USA would replace this supply with oil from Alaska it would be different.
1
sfjp330
Japan has been leaned on by U.S. and in this case the Japan government is somewhat wishy-washy; it is a very weak government. However, since the Fukushima incident of a year ago, Japan really needs to buy oil, so what will they do. If you go, for example, to China and say to them, either you stop buying Iranian oil or you cannot have any financial dealings with the U.S., is that tenable. China has said no and they are very angry. There has been a very angry response from Beijing. They may have reached their limit in terms of taking dictation from the U.S. Also India, which buys a significant amount of Iranian oil, is also basically saying no. So China and India are saying no.
And then you have South Korea, they are ROK, what will they do? Those, too, are sort of up in the air. Certainly, if you tell people in Japan that you have got to choose between China and the U.S. there is a significant part of the Japanese economy that will say, well, we choose China. So, it is very difficult.
So, this whole array of countries that are now being put on the spot by the U.S. with this strong-arm, black mail, secondary boycott approach, which simply shows that the people leading U.S. foreign policy, I would say, are imbeciles. They imagine that they have all of this power, and when Geithner went to China, he basically had a whole series of nonnegotiable demands and I think they basically reacted with a great deal of rage.
2
Yumiko0211
Frankly speaking, "to jump into bed with Iran" may sounds rather better than "to be beaten by an arrogant and violent master" to some people. :)
Joking aside, it is obvious that our government does not have any intention to clearly oppose to the US in this matter. Simply for the power balance between US. I myself do not wish them to try to do, although I do not have a very bad impression on Iran: Japan is more important to me than Iran, after all. There is no reason for us to take a serious risk at our people's lives for the foreign nation. However, I do not support to take any strong sanction against Iran either.("Sanction" sounds so arrogant, btw.) Of course the actual decision will depend on the diplomatic situations, but my humble wish to them is to deal with this matter as moderately as possible. We ourselves do not have any reason to fight against Iran.
If we had a smarter government, I would hope them to serve as mediator, which now sounds so disastrous. Japan is so useless from the viewpoint of Iran, for this matter. It is a shame but I have to say that China would be much more helpful to them in this matter.
I sincerely hope many civilians, women and children will not be bombed, with my best wishes.
0
notasap
yuri, I'm all for Japan using the facts you stated to get a better deal from the US. The US has the oil and I think would go along with such a demand if Japan would be firm on its being against Iran. Just my 2 cents.
1
bello420
It is high time for Japan to grow some "cojones" and make a real decision for the good of the people of Japan. No second guessing or bowing to the almighty USA. If the US would really have any good intentions for Japan (besides continuing to occupy it for its own advantage) , then the US would guarantee Japan with American oil at the same price as the Iranian oil, fair enough? I really don't see this happening as otherwise the US would have offered already. The US wants to get its cake and eat it too!
2
Yumiko0211
"The same price as Iranial oil" sounds funny: if they are the same, it is surely desirable not to depend on the US even more. But please do not take me wrong, I also understand that the US have a good power to force Japan inconvenience to some extent, and we are actually ready for such requirements from the most powerful nation as usual. US is the most important nation for Japan, at least for now.
However, even if they suceed in forcing Japan not to buy oil from Iran, it still sounds just unrealistic to block all other nations from Iran. This is fundamentally different from the old Japan before WWII: Iran is the sellar side, not a customer side. Then, what is the exact intention of the US government? Is Japan enough to drive Iran at the wall? Or enough to persuade American people? The detailed decision will depends on its answer, I believe. Personally, I suppose the Japan's sanction is not critical in this matter for the US. That's why I am not positive for any strong sanction aganst Iran. The cost would be serious for Japan, and how about the merit for the US? Even if the oil price from US should be LOWER than Iranian, making the relationship between Iran would be so serious for Japan in the long run.
I wish our government is smart enough not to make the relationship between Iran be irreparably-damaged while I do not have any strong desire to disturb the US intention.
1
bello420
Like I said, it's time for Japan to grow some and become a real country again, not the puppet of the US. Japan has neighbors here in east Asia while the US is 5000 miles away... very convenient. Really, look at the geopolitical situation now... and plan for the future. Unfortunately, the US has instigated so many wars over the last 40 years while installing puppet dictators for the benefit of America, that it is becoming an unwanted partner in various spheres. The only thing that keeps it on top is its control of the oil industry through the petrodollar and its military might, which is there to support the petrodollar. That's why the US is in the Middle East and literally controls all the oil. Iran doesn't want to use the petrodollar anymore, and America is furious about it, Look at what happened to Iraq and Lybia, they also stopped using the petrodollar and got invaded in return. Why? Because the US got the oil sheiks in Saudi Arabia and the gulf to sell in dollars only, by guaranteeing their sovereignty. 90% of the world's oil is sold in petrodollars as a result, making America's coffers full with an endless supply of revenue to prop up its economy and will not stand anybody shaking up the arrangemnt. The BRICS are steadily moving away fom the dollar, people are starting to wake up and are asking why it has to be this way? Who really benefits from it? Will Japan benefit from sanctioning Iran.... probably not. I only hope the J-gov will take a real deep look adn make the most educated decision for the benefit of its people.
0
Elbuda Mexicano
Iran has been supplying good, cheap oil to Japan for many, many years, in return, Iranians did not need visas to visit or work here in Japan, now this is a different situation but ok, no more free visa for Iranians but they need Japanese yen and Japan needs lots of Iranian OIL, no matter what the USA may try to say, so the USA has to put its $$$$ were it counts and so does Japan, if the USA can not help Japan with say cheap or free oil from Alaska, Texas etc..what are the Japanese supposed to do??
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