Japan and Libya have agreed to step up cooperation in several areas, with the health sector emerging as a key focus during talks between senior officials in Tokyo. Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Yohei Onishi met Libya’s Minister of Health Dr. Mohamed Ali Al-Ghouj during the Libyan minister’s visit to Japan. The meeting came after Libya and Japan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on health-related matters. The memorandum was signed by Al-Ghouj and Japan’s Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, Mr. Ueno.
Welcoming Al-Ghouj to Japan, Mr. Onishi said the visit and the signing of the memorandum were positive developments for relations between the two countries. He also pointed to Japan’s contribution to Libya’s health sector and said there was scope for the two countries to do more together. For Libya, the visit provided an opportunity to strengthen its cooperation with Japan in the medical field. Mr. Al-Ghouj thanked Japan for its support and contribution to healthcare and said Libya would work to deepen the partnership under the new memorandum.
The two officials also discussed the broader relationship between Japan and Libya. Japan has experience and expertise in healthcare and medical services, while Libya has been looking to strengthen its health sector and expand international cooperation. The two governments did not limit their discussions to healthcare.
Mr. Onishi and Mr. Al-Ghouj agreed to work together to further promote bilateral relations across various fields. For Japan, stronger ties with Libya provide an opportunity to expand its engagement in North Africa. For Libya, closer cooperation with Japan offers a chance to build on Japanese experience. The latest meeting was not centred on a major political agreement or a single diplomatic issue. Instead, the focus was on building practical cooperation between the two countries, beginning with health.
Both sides ultimately agreed to continue working towards stronger bilateral relations across different sectors. The health agreement therefore comes as one of the more concrete recent steps in Japan-Libya relations. While healthcare is currently at the centre of the partnership, the discussions indicate that Tokyo and Tripoli are also interested in expanding cooperation into other areas over time.
