Since the inception of diplomatic relationship in 1955, Japan and Saudi Arabia have been enjoying close relations, in particular in the economic field. Japan is now one of the biggest importers of Saudi oil. The trade exceeded 43 billion US dollars in 2010. Japan's direct investment in the Kingdom is now the third largest. Such relationship can be characterized by “complementarity”. At the same time it is indeed gratifying that the Imperial Family of Japan and the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia have maintained a close relationship. Following the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship in 2005, we have now entered yet another 50-year period. What should be done in this period is clear; deepening and widening of the scope of cooperation. While the complementary relationship will remain unchanged into the future, room for expansion and diversification of the bilateral relations is now emerging. What we have to do is to find good seeds and plant them leaving the future generations to reap the harvest. In this context, I underline that we stand at a critically important phase. Already, over the last few years alone, important seeds have been planted. For example in the field of human resources development, Higher Institute for Plastics Fabrication (HIPF) and Saudi Electronics & Home Appliances Institute (SEHAI) have been established in addition to Saudi Japan Automobile High Institute (SJAHI) opened earlier in 2002. The Joint Task Force process on industrial cooperation is well under way, producing a number of important investment projects. The policy recommendation on Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises has been presented to the Saudi government. Policy dialogue on water began last year. Energy cooperation is being reinforced. A youth exchange program has been promoted. More than 400 young and promising Saudis are now studying in Japan under different programs including the King Abdullah Scholarship. Here in the Kingdom, it is gratifying that King Saud University has been very instrumental in providing the Japanese language courses for the last 18 years. For its continued efforts Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs awarded KSU the Foreign Minister's Commendation last year. We also note with much gratitude that Princess Nura Bint Abdurrahman University is going to open a Japanese language course soon. More than 300,000 people visited the Japan Pavilion at the 26th Janadriyah Festival last April. We were grateful that Japan was invited to the Festival as the guest country. Our pavilion was indeed a very good seed. I believe that the next few years will be even more crucial in widening and deepening the scope of cooperation between our two countries. We are ready to find and plant good seeds in cooperation with the Saudi people. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is now in the process of strong economic development, making a remarkable progress which is indeed impressive. At the same time I also note that what the Kingdom is aiming at is not simple westernization of the country. Neither is a simple copy of what Japan has achieved during the last several decades after the war. What it is trying to achieve, it seems to me, is to build a country highly developed while preserving and embodying its own traditions and values that have been deeply rooted in its society for a long time. In other words, this can be termed “the Saudi way of development.” That having been said, it should be reminded that the building of strategic and multilayered partnership was confirmed through the exchange of the highest level visits in 2006 and 2007. I believe such partnership should be looked at from a long-term perspective, say 10 or 20-year period. In so doing, I think there are three fundamental elements to be taken into consideration; First, embracing the future vision which is common to both of us. Through constructive interactions between our two countries at all levels, we should establish common objectives and goals in all fields, Second, sharing the process leading to the goals and objectives, thereby sharing the responsibility, and Third, based on such partnership, we jointly conduct outreach activities involving third countries for the sake of the international community. Such partnership will certainly solidify a win-win relationship, benefiting both the Japanese and Saudi people. I would like on this occasion also to look at our partnership from a different angle which is equally important for the region and also for the international community at large. Since the turn of the century, the weight of the world economy has begun to shift from the west to the east, i.e. to Asia. Asia accounts for 60% of the world population and 40% of the world GDP. Having lived the first decade since the turn of the century, we are now witnessing a profound change in the world economy. The region covering Japan in the far east and the Kingdom in the far west of the Asian Continent is now becoming the growth center of the world economy. The whole region is indeed becoming the corridor of growth which will determine the future course of the global economy. Also, this continent is characterized by diversity. While diversity can be source for friction, it should be appreciated as creating deeper values and synergy. Therefore we should be wise enough to establish a strategy to embody such qualities in our economic activities for the benefit of our people. In this regard, I note with great interest and appreciation that the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz has taken initiatives to diversify the Kingdom's external relations. As a result, we are now finding that the Government and the people of the Kingdom are looking more towards east, placing an increased emphasis on Asia. We can expect and enjoy an added value through enhanced interactions. The world is watching us, watching what kind of synergy we are going to demonstrate in Asia's corridor of growth. That is why I underline that the relationship in the coming decades between Japan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia should be a strategic one. We need to forge a strategy and vision in which we all benefit from win-win games. Such relationship naturally goes beyond simple trade of energy and manufactured goods. * The writer is the Ambassador of Japan to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. __
