Motegi urges global dialogue on Strait of Hormuz

Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu has stressed the need for the entire international community to discuss the future of the Strait of Hormuz.

He spoke at a meeting of foreign ministers in New York on the topic of "Reinforcing Maritime Cooperation to Achieve a Secure and Stable Maritime Domain." The meeting organized by Japan, the Philippines and others brought together 53 nations and organizations.

Motegi commented on the situation in the Middle East, emphasizing the importance of recovering free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. He said it is essential for discussions on the key waterway to include the entire international community, including countries on the strait and those that use it for shipments.

He also reiterated Japan's opposition to what he called "continued and intensified unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion" in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.

Motegi was apparently commenting with China in mind, and underscored the importance of countries adhering to the 2016 ruling by an international arbitration tribunal, which dismissed China's territorial claims in the South China Sea.