EGYPT HOSTS THE FIRST EXPANDED JAPAN ARAB CONFERENCE

The first ever expanded Arab Japan Conference was held in Alexandria, Egypt, on 20 - 21 November 2007 and was hosted by the Library of Alexandria along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the League of Arab States and in cooperation with the Government of Japan. The Conference brought together over 250 government representatives, leading policymakers, parliamentarians, academics, business executives, scientists, artists, and representatives of civil society from 16 Arab countries and Japan to discuss a variety of issues of common interest and examine means of advancing cooperation between the Arab world and Japan in all major fields.

The Conference, which was held under the theme “A New Dawn: Arabs Looking East”, was inaugurated by opening statements from H.E. Dr. Ahmed Nazif, the Prime Minister of Egypt, H.E. Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, H.E. Mr. Amre Moussa, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, H.E. Dr. Taro Nakayama, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Dr. Ismail Serageldin, the Director of the Library of Alexandria. The Egyptian Ambassador in Tokyo, Dr. Walid M. Abdelnasser, and the Japanese Ambassador in Cairo, H.E. Mr. Kaoru Ishikawa, both actively participated in the proceedings of the Conference.

The Conference participants held an extensive array of frank, meaningful and constructive discussions in a Davos-style format centered around four main sessions, namely political and diplomatic, economic trade and financial, cultural and social, and science and technology and environment.

At the conclusion of the Conference, the participants confirmed the importance of strengthening cooperation between Japan and Arab countries in order to address serious challenges in a complex world, and adopted a statement entitled “Towards a New Japan-Arab Partnership”. They expressed their belief that Japan and the Arab world, both having longstanding cultures and civilizations, can complement each other in pursuing sustainable development in a globalized world while preserving their unique cultures and traditional values. They discussed possibilities of exploring new domains of economic partnerships in areas such as high-tech related investment, IT, telecommunications, nanotechnology, generic pharmaceuticals as well as renewable energy. Participants also agreed on the need to promote human resource development and emphasized that improvements in the fields of education and vocational training should be placed at the top of the agenda for any modernization and reform effort.

Participants also expressed their shared concern over the continued conflicts and signs of instability in the Middle East and underlined that the achievement of a lasting, just and comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict is one of the most important tasks of the region as well the international community at large; and in this context the participants noted with appreciation Japan’s efforts to assist the Palestinian people develop a viable economy of their own including through its initiative aimed at establishing the “Corridor for Peace and Prosperity”.

The convening of the Japan Arab Conference was hailed as a landmark event in the history of Japan-Arab relations and it underscored the desire by both sides to establish a multi-faceted strategic partnership between them in all fields and at all levels. The participants thus agreed on the need to maintain the momentum generated by the Conference and decided to examine the possibility of convening follow-up meetings - including similar Conferences - in the future.