Japan and Israel have seven decades of dealings under their sturdy diplomatic relations belt; 2022 marks the 70th anniversary of an alliance that has come into its own since its inception in 1952.
This bond has grown slowly, but steadily and surely over time — especially in the areas of trade, cultural exchange, research and knowledge transfers, and defense cooperation.
“Until the 1980s, bilateral commercial relations were limited, mostly due to Japan’s concerns about the Arab boycott. During the ’90s, trade volume started to pick up, but the main development has occurred over the past decade, when Japanese companies discovered the great potential of partnering with Israeli innovation. Both governments also stepped up collaborations and signed many agreements,” noted Daniel Kolbar, minister for economic affairs at the Israeli Embassy in Japan.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen stressed: “Relations with Japan are constantly growing, especially in the past few years; the potential for future opportunities is exceptional. We view Japan as a strategic partner with whom we share similar interests, based on mutual democratic values.”
As bilateral ties between Japan and Israel continue to progress into the future, Japan’s Ambassador to Israel Koichi Mizushima stressed that the two nations —bonded by common values such as freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law — “share the desire to strengthen and deepen our partnership in a wide range of fields in the coming years, including in business and security.” He noted that this “would be beneficial not only bilaterally, but also globally.” ®
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