Kuni Miyake, who is also the president of the Foreign Policy Institute and research director at Canon Institute for Global Studies, said on Thursday that it was “stunning” than “Japan was not a party to the talks” when China, Russia, and the United States joined three European countries — namely, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany — after negotiating with Iran since 2003, to propose comprehensive negotiations with Tehran.

Japan Times quoted him as saying Germany was a part of the talks because it was a key trading partner of Iran and, at that time, Iran’s nuclear program relied on German technology. 

"Germany’s involvement in the negotiations is understandable. What I am advocating is that it is time for Japan to also be involved in future nuclear negotiations with Iran," he said.

He added that last year, then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited and met with Iran's Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei) whom no other Western leaders have recently held talks with. “Iran falls under the Free and Open Indo-Pacific region, and Japan’s stake and interests lie there. Japan may not be a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, but it remains a viable candidate to become the seventh member of the nuclear talks aimed at stabilizing the [Persian] Gulf region.”

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