Professor Kunihiko Shinoda of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo praised Kuwait calling it a “reliable and stable energy partner,” highlighting opportunities to deepen cooperation with Japan in clean energy, infrastructure modernization, and the growth of knowledge-based industries.
He noted that the Gulf’s rapidly expanding youth population makes the region an ideal partner for Japanese expertise in innovation, job creation, and advanced infrastructure development.
His remarks came during a special lecture titled “President Trump’s Economic Diplomacy and Its Impact on the Indo-Pacific Region,” organized last week by the Reconnaissance Research Center in cooperation with the Japanese Embassy in Kuwait. The event brought together academics, policy experts, doctoral students, business leaders, and diplomats.
Professor Shinoda stressed that “Japan-GCC relations have reached a pivotal stage,” pointing to the ongoing negotiations on the Japan-GCC Economic Partnership Agreement as “a framework that could redefine economic cooperation beyond energy, opening new horizons in technology, water security, and clean energy transition.”
He underscored the importance of leveraging historically strong Japan-Gulf ties to align long-term visions in areas such as green hydrogen, water desalination, and high-tech industries.
At the same time, he cautioned that regional geopolitical shifts — from heightened Iranian-Israeli tensions to fluctuations in global energy markets — will require deeper strategic dialogue between Japan and the Gulf states to safeguard stability and expand cooperation.
“Middle Eastern countries today are not only maximizing the value of their oil and gas assets, but also moving toward diversified, post-oil growth models,” he said.
For Japan, he added, it is vital to strengthen energy partnerships while simultaneously advancing joint efforts in decarbonization, energy transformation, and projects addressing pressing social challenges such as the environment and healthcare — with Kuwait positioned as a central partner in this vision.
Japanese Ambassador to Kuwait H.E. Mukai Kenichiro emphasized the timeliness of the discussion, describing it as “an important opportunity to explore how the economic structure of the Indo-Pacific region is evolving amid complex geopolitical dynamics,” and expressed hope that the symposium would inspire fresh insights.
Meanwhile, Abdulaziz Al-Anjari, Founder and CEO of Reconnaissance, noted that hosting Professor Shinoda “paves the way for greater academic exchange, enabling more Kuwaiti researchers to visit Japan and more Japanese voices to contribute to Kuwait’s intellectual and policy dialogue.”
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