Joint Statement on the Third Annual U.S.-Japan Energy Security Dialogue

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Japan and the United States held the third annual Japan-U.S. Energy Security Dialogue (ESD) on December 12 in Tokyo, Japan. Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Director General KIHARA Shinichi and Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Economic Affairs Bureau Director General KATAHIRA Satoshi met U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources Geoffrey PYATT to discuss deepening our cooperation to strengthen energy security, accelerate the clean energy transition, and diversify supply chains for critical minerals and clean energy technologies.

Since October 2022, Ukraine's energy system has been one of the main targets of Russia's brutal military attacks. Russia has escalated its attacks since March 2024, causing significant damage to Ukraine's power generation capacity and further endangering the Ukrainian people's access to critical services. Japan and the United States reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and its brutal and unjust attacks on Ukraine and its energy infrastructure.

The United States and Japan recognized the need to carefully observe the impacts on global energy markets due to current geopolitical developments, including Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the situations in Middle East, and emphasized the importance of a stable energy market and their commitment to being critical energy partners. The Department of State and Department of Energy reiterated their commitment to supporting Japan's energy security, including the United States' ability to predictably supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) while working with other fossil energy importers and producers to minimize methane and carbon emissions across the fossil energy value chain, and accelerate the global transition to net-zero emissions by 2050.

Japan and the United States reiterated their commitment to implementing the Global Methane Pledge (GMP), considering the need for a robust partnership between producers and consumers of fossil fuels. Japan and the United States aim to minimize methane and CO2 emissions from the fossil energy sector, welcoming the outcome of LNG Producer-Consumer Conference 2024 (LNGPCC2024) held in Hiroshima, Japan on October 6, 2024, and recognizing the importance of the expansion of the CLEAN (Coalition for LNG Emission Abatement toward Net-zero) initiative and the CLEAN Annual Report 2024, as the world's first methane data disclosure by project.

The United States and Japan recognized the climate crisis as the existential challenge of our time and intend to be leaders in the global response with emphasis on the importance of simultaneously achieving net-zero, economic growth, and energy security, while pursuing various pathways. Through Japan's GX Promotion Act and the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Japan and the United States are driving the decarbonization of our economies, spurring economic growth and job creation, improving industrial competitiveness, strengthening energy security through the increased development and deployment of clean energy technologies, and building more diverse clean energy and critical minerals supply chains. Japan and the United States reaffirmed our efforts to maximize the synergies across these historic investments and promote complementary, resilient clean energy supply chains.

The two countries emphasized the need to facilitate increased private sector investment by leveraging private sector demand for clean energy through the Clean Energy Demand Initiative (CEDI). The United States welcomed continued cooperation with Japan in the Indo-Pacific to advance the objectives of CEDI to increase investment in clean energy as well as options for the private sector to procure it, which will help U.S. and Japanese companies operating in the region meet their growing demand for clean power while contributing to economic growth. The growing power demand from AI creates new opportunities for clean energy deployment, including nuclear power, which supports supply capacity and energy security in the digital age.

Japan and the United States commit to cooperating on energy supply chains and to accelerate deployment of clean energy technologies. Both countries will work together to promote innovative technologies such as floating offshore wind, clean hydrogen and its derivatives such as ammonia, e-fuels and e-methane, carbon capture and storage/carbon recycling, and advanced nuclear reactors, including small modular reactors (SMRs), to help increase access to secure supplies of clean energy.

Japan and the United States re-affirmed their commitment to seek cooperation on critical minerals projects through the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) to build diversified and resilient supply chains to enhance our economic and energy security. Both countries recognized the strong supply chain linkages for many critical minerals, including between Japanese midstream companies and processed parts producers, and U.S. end-user firms. Japan welcomed U.S. commitments to help enhance supply chain resilience against the potential abuse of export control measures on critical minerals to the detriment of our collective economic and national security. The United States and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to sustain and expand responsible bilateral and global trade. Particularly in e-scrap for the purposes of increasing critical mineral recycling and circular economies.

Japan and the United States acknowledged the Japan-U.S. Mekong Power Partnership (JUMPP) as an important mechanism for advancing our shared vision of a secure and sustainable energy future in the Mekong region. During the five years of JUMPP, both partners have accomplished meaningful strides towards clean energy integration and regional interconnectivity in Cambodia, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Thailand, and Vietnam through key contributions to technical analysis, market development, and renewable energy integration. Japan and the United States are pleased to share the JUMPP Accomplishments Report, a publication highlighting all the regulatory developments, increased clean energy capacity, and technology deployment over five years of this partnership.

Both sides recognized the significant increase in demand for firm, clean electricity with the surge in global interest for artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies and welcomed increased civil nuclear collaboration in third markets to meet those needs. This includes cooperation under the U.S. Department of State's Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) Program, to support capacity building, feasibility studies, and early engineering work for the deployment of nuclear energy under the highest standards of nuclear safety, security and nonproliferation consistent with IAEA standards and guidance in the Indo-Pacific region and elsewhere.

Japan and the United States confirmed the great value of this Energy Security Dialogue, and the productive track 1.5 component, and look forward to convening again at a senior level in 2025.

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