IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol had a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo to discuss domestic and global energy markets and security. During the meeting, Dr. Birol emphasized the IEA’s dedication to supporting Japan in executing its new Strategic Energy Plan, with a particular focus on balancing energy security, climate goals, and competitiveness. Prime Minister Ishiba reaffirmed Japan’s strong backing of the IEA’s initiatives.
The meeting with Prime Minister Ishiba was a key event during Dr. Birol’s three-day visit to Japan, which featured engagements with government ministers and energy leaders.
Dr. Birol also held bilateral talks with Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoji Muto, addressing Japan’s energy policy priorities, including securing affordable energy supplies while reducing emissions. Additionally, he met with Foreign Affairs Minister Takeshi Iwaya to discuss international cooperation on energy security and the energy transition across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
During his stay in Tokyo, Dr. Birol participated in several major speaking engagements, including a keynote speech at the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Parliamentary Support Group for Southeast Asia. The session, hosted by former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida—who launched the AZEC initiative—and AZEC Chairman Ken Saito, highlighted the IEA’s plans to expand cooperation with Southeast Asian nations through its new Regional Cooperation Centre in Singapore, the agency’s first office outside Paris.
At the International Energy Symposium, hosted by Tatsuya Terazawa, Chairman and CEO of the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ), Dr. Birol spoke about current energy market conditions and emerging energy security challenges, particularly amid geopolitical uncertainty and rapid technological changes.
Dr. Birol also visited Niigata Prefecture to tour the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear facility in the world. During the tour, he highlighted the vital role of nuclear power in enhancing energy security and reducing emissions, referencing the IEA’s recent report The Path to a New Era for Nuclear Energy. He stressed the benefits of safely restarting the plant to strengthen Japan’s energy security, affordability, and sustainability.
While in Tokyo, Dr. Birol also met with Brazil’s Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira de Oliveira, who was accompanying President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on a state visit to Japan. The two discussed the successful cooperation between the IEA and Brazil’s 2024 G20 Presidency and explored ways to build on that partnership moving forward.
