Japan is increasing contact, and these two countries have just been invited to join the BRICS
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, on September 4 local time, Japanese Foreign Minister Lin Fangzheng arrived in Egypt for a visit, and will visit Saudi Arabia on September 6. Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia were officially invited to join the BRICS cooperation mechanism in August. Japan is committed to strengthening dialogue with these representative countries from the global South.
According to reports, Lin Fang emphasized at a press conference on the 1st that "Egypt and Saudi Arabia are both countries that play important roles in the region and the international community." He stated that he will have candid exchanges with the two countries on the international situation during his visit.
At the BRICS Leaders Meeting held in South Africa from August 22nd to 24th, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Iran, and Ethiopia were invited to become members of the BRICS. Japan immediately began to increase contacts with these countries at the leadership and foreign minister levels.
On August 29th, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with visiting Argentine Foreign Minister Cafiero, and both sides agreed to maintain coordination on issues such as nuclear disarmament and climate change.
According to reports, Lin Fangzheng will hold talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Shukari on the 5th and hold the first ministerial level consultation among Japan, Egypt, and Jordan.
During their visit to Saudi Arabia, Japan and Saudi Arabia will hold a strategic dialogue at the level of foreign ministers, as well as a meeting of foreign ministers from Japan and Gulf Arab States Cooperation Council members.
According to reports, from July to August this year, the Kishida government engaged in leadership or foreign ministerial level interactions with Iran, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The report points out that both the G7 and China and Russia are trying to deepen their relations with the global South, as these countries are indispensable in creating international public opinion. The six new BRICS members are all regional powers and their influence cannot be underestimated. Saudi Arabia, Argentina are still members of the G20.
The report states that the G7 is also working on these countries to prevent them from being too biased towards China and Russia. Japan, as the rotating chair of the Group of Seven in 2023, also invited leaders from India and Brazil, two BRICS countries, to attend the Hiroshima Summit.
The report also stated that the Middle East region where Lin Fangzheng is going to visit is also a region where the balance of power between the United States and China has changed. China has strengthened its intervention in regional affairs by successfully mediating the restoration of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Fumio Kishida visited Egypt and Saudi Arabia respectively in April and July this year, and in less than half a year, Lin Fangzheng visited these two countries again.
The report suggests that these countries have adopted a diplomatic route of standing side by side between the G7 and China and Russia. The report also stated that for Japan, it is a country that can share values such as freedom and the rule of law.
The report states that Japan hopes to create more opportunities for coordinating positions by increasing dialogue with new members of the BRICS. The relevant person in charge of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs analyzed, "It is important to make them accept the indispensable way of thinking in maintaining international order and make necessary voices within the BRICS mechanism."
