KUCHING: Sarawak and Japan continue to strengthen bilateral cooperation in various strategic areas, including green energy, academia, and tourism.

Ambassador of Japan to Malaysia, Shikata Noriyuki said the commitment was further strengthened by working with Sarawak in the field of green energy following discussions between Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Japanese Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba last month.

According to him, Sarawak is recognised as a major player in the transition to clean energy, attracting Japanese companies to invest in hydrogen and ammonia projects.

“We see great potential in Sarawak’s energy policy, especially in the use of green resources such as hydropower, as well as the development of hydrogen and ammonia.

“Japan is ready to support this initiative,” he told reporters after paying a courtesy call on Sarawak Premier, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg at Wisma Bapa Malaysia on Friday.

Apart from that, the discussions also touched on academic cooperation between Kyoto University and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) on conservation of Sarawak’s biodiversity and rainforests.

Japan intends to strengthen this academic relationship with Sarawak to protect the environment and promote joint research.

In the tourism sector, Japan is also keen to explore the opportunity of establishing direct flights between Sarawak and Japan.

The Japanese Ambassador stressed that this direct air link will not only facilitate Japanese tourists to Sarawak, but also provide opportunities for Sarawakians to visit Japan, especially in conjunction with the Osaka Kansai Expo in April.

“We believe that closer ties between Japan and Sarawak will open up many new opportunities, and we hope to realise more concrete cooperation projects in the near future,” he added.

With Sarawak’s progressive policies in green energy and Japan’s commitment to supporting these initiatives, relations between both parties are expected to continue growing, benefiting both nations across multiple sectors. -UKASnews