In a rare visit to Cuba, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe will take part in the usual greasing of economic ties that he has been focusing on with his trip to many emerging nations this year, but the trip will also give the Japanese premier a much needed chance to discuss North Korea’s nuclear and missiles program, a recent worry for the nation.
Cuba is just recently emerging from decades of economic and political isolation but is still one of the few allies North Korea has. This will be the first time the Communist-ruled country will welcome a leader from Japan.
In 2015 Cuba finally normalized economic ties with the United States, which lifted their long time embargo on the nation. Shinzo Abe will be hoping to emulate Barak Obama’s successful visit last year and sit down for friendly talks with the country’s leader Raul Castro.
East Asian countries were stunned by arms testing by North Korea last week, the fifth time the country has performed nuclear missile tests, and the biggest to date. In response, Japan, the U.S. and South Korea have been in extended diplomatic talks to solidify their alliance.
Yoshihide Suga, the Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, told a press meeting he was “looking forward to meaningful and co-operative discussions with Cuba regarding the issues of North Korea’s nuclear and missile testing in the region.”
Predictably, the U.S. government has called on the United Nations to send a quick and stern message to North Korea asking them to give up their pursuit of a nuclear arsenal. The U.S. envoy to Pyongyang said Washington was still “prepared to take part in sensible dialogue.”
Since full diplomatic and trade ties were restored between Cuba and the U.S. over a hundred American companies have visited Havana to try and expand U.S. business operations there. Japan is likewise keen to enter the Cuban market.
“Although the trade embargo has made business with Cuba nearly impossible, the time is right to attempt reconciliation with the island,” said James Coleman, Managing Director and co-head of Portfolio Trading at Softbank CIBC International in an email to investors. “There are huge opportunities there as with all emerging markets. Tokyo doesn’t want to miss a trick and let the U.S. make too many inroads into the territory.”
