“Located in Asia, Iran and Japan have many cultural commonalities. We are ready to have stronger ties with Japan, and no one should be allowed to affect ties between the two countries,” Amirabdollahian told his Japanese counterpart Yōko Kamikawa on Wednesday.
The two diplomats held their talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on the sidelines of the Global Refugee Forum, discussing a range of issues including Afghanistan as well as the ongoing war in Gaza.
The Iranian minister said that the crisis in Gaza is not because of the Operation Al-Aqsa Storm that the Palestinian resistance carried out on Oct. 7. It returns to 75 years ago, he said in reference to the creation of the Israeli regime that led to the occupation of Palestinian land.
Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza is clear, and Iran has been engaged in diplomatic efforts to prevent the expansion of war and bring an end to the genocide in Gaza, Amirabdollahian said, calling on Japan to do more to help stop the killing of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
The Iranian diplomat meanwhile criticized the US for its repeated vetoes of UN Security Council resolutions on a ceasefire in Gaza, saying that Washington’s measures were a green light to the Israeli regime to kill more Palestinians.
The Japanese FM also said that her country is concerned about the spillover of war in the region, and called on Iran to step up efforts to prevent further instability there.
She also referred to the UN General Assembly resolution on a ceasefire in Gaza, which was passed on Tuesday, and noted that Japan voted for the resolution.
The two ministers discussed peace in Afghanistan as well, with both expressing readiness on part of their countries to increase cooperation aimed at improving the situation there.
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