Japan's Self-Defence Forces anniversary celebrated in Doha

Japan’s Self-Defence Forces (SDF) 70th anniversary celebration in Doha on Monday highlighted the recent advances in bilateral security co-operation and the growing strategic partnership with Qatar.In his farewell address, Japanese ambassador Satoshi Maeda underlined the significant progress made in defence ties between the two nations – initially focused on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) trade – and broadened substantially since Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to Qatar in 2023."Now our focus has gone beyond the LNG towards a comprehensive policy aiming to strengthen ties in a wider range of areas. Security co-operation indeed is one of the important pillars of this policy, and it is becoming more and more active, these days,” the envoy said.He described the first Qatar – Japan defence ministerial meeting in Singapore this June at the Shangri-La Dialogue as a crucial step, resulting in "a very constructive discussion on various matters regarding security issues of mutual concern”.Further solidifying this progress, Maeda said the visit of Japan’s Maritime SDF destroyer "Murasame” to Doha Port recently, a first in 12 years, served as a symbolic milestone in the growing bilateral relations. He thanked the Qatar government and its Armed Forces for their support during his tenure.Colonel Ryo Tatsukawa, first resident Japanese defence attaché to Qatar, whose posting commenced in June 2023, said the history of Qatar–Japan defence ties began in 2010 with initiatives such as Arabic language training for Japanese personnel and student exchange programmes.The establishment of the defence attache’s office, Tatsukawa stressed, significantly enhanced the level of engagement, noting that the first Military-to-Military Dialogue in November 2023 further cemented the foundation for enhanced co-operation.He said the presence of three Japanese international students at the Ahmed Bin Mohammed Military College underscores the ongoing people-to-people exchange vital to strengthening bilateral bonds.Tatsukawa vowed to strengthen ties within the defence attaché community and expressed his dedication to fostering mutually beneficial relationships.The reception was attended by high-ranking Qatari military officials, including Brigadier General Hamad Salmeen al-Jabri of the Amiri Naval Forces and Brigadier General Ahmed Mohamed al-Dahi of the Amiri Signal Corps, as well as other Qatari and Japanese dignitaries.