Mobility paves Samsung’s silver path
The Korean giant’s early bet on mobile phones helped it hit the $10-bn mark in India, but in its 25th year it ...
Japanese flag flutters atop the Bank of Japan building in Tokyo, Japan. File Photo - Reuters
Japan will send a warship and patrol planes to protect Japanese ships in West Asia as the situation in the region, from which it sources nearly 90 per cent of its crude oil imports, remains volatile, Japan's top government spokesman said on Friday.
Under the plan approved by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet, a helicopter-equipped destroyer and two P-3C patrol planes will be dispatched for information-gathering aimed at ensuring safe passage for Japanese vessels through the region.
If there are any emergencies, a special order would be issued by the Japanese Defence Minister to allow the forces to use weapons to protect ships in danger. “Peace and stability in West Asia is extremely important for the peace and prosperity of the international community including Japan,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a regular news conference. “Also, it is very important to make sure Japan-related ships can sail safely in West Asia, the world's major source of energy.”
Friction between Iran and the United States has increased since last year, when US President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran and re-imposed sanctions on it, crippling its economy.
In May and June, there were several attacks on international merchant vessels in the region, including the Japanese-owned tanker Kokuka Courageous, which the United States blamed on Iran. Tehran denies the accusations.
Oil importers and refiners welcomed the government decision. “West Asia situation remains unpredictable...We believe the decision, made against this backdrop, will benefit the safe passage of ships in the region,” Petroleum Association of Japan President Takashi Tsukioka said in a statement.
Japan, a US ally that has maintained friendly ties with Iran, has opted to launch its own operation rather than join a US-led mission to protect shipping in the region.
Abe last week briefed visiting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tokyo's plan to send naval forces to the Gulf. The planned operation is set to cover high seas in the Gulf of Oman, the northern Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden, but not the Strait of Hormuz.
The Japanese government aims to start the operation of the patrol planes next month, while the destroyer will likely begin activities in the region in February, a defence ministry official said.
The government decision is effective for one year through December 26, 2020. A fresh cabinet approval is necessary to extend the armed force's activities in West Asia.
A European operation to ensure safe shipping in the Gulf will also get underway next month, when a French warship starts patrolling there.
The Korean giant’s early bet on mobile phones helped it hit the $10-bn mark in India, but in its 25th year it ...
Antrix should adopt a different tactic than merely fighting over jurisdiction: Experts
Invest in relationships, enterprise, behaviour, effort and learning
From different types of osmoses to new membranes, researchers have come up with ways of drawing water
High valuation and stiff competition from larger players are a dampener
Will a stock continue its current trend or will it reverse? We tell you how you can read chart patterns to ...
Most AMCs have been sending out cryptic e-mails. We tell you how to read between the lines
Slew of factors are building a good foundation for the bulls to work their way up
In these isolated times when people yearn for a slice of the familiar, amateur and professional chefs are ...
Writer Narendra’s latest book, rich with vignettes from Bastar and his native village in Uttar Pradesh, ...
On the eve of his 86th birthday, a peek into an interview-based book that reveals the actor’s many moods, ...
Forget the tuna. The island nation will keep you full and happy with coconut, koftas and jasmine
Digital is becoming dominant media, but are companies and their ad agencies transforming fast enough to make a ...
Slow Network, promoted by journalist-lyricist Neelesh Misra, pushes rural products and experiences
How marketers can use the traditional exchange of festive wishes meaningfully
For Fortune, a brand celebrating its 20th anniversary, it was a rude shock to become the butt of social media ...
Three years after its inception, compliance with GST procedures remains a headache for exporters, job workers ...
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of companies are altering the prospects for wooden toys of ...
Aequs Aerospace to create space for large-scale manufacture of toys at Koppal
And it has every reason to smile. Covid-19 has triggered a consumer shift towards branded products as ...
Please Email the Editor