This position was expressed in a statement issued by the Japanese Foreign Ministry at the end of a meeting held in Cairo on Sepember 6th, 2023, between the head of Japanese diplomacy, Mr. Hayashi Yoshimasa, and MFA Nasser Bourita, on the sidelines of the work of the Council of the League of Arab States at the level of foreign ministers.

"With regard to the Sahara issue, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa welcomed Morocco's serious and credible efforts to advance the political process," the Japanese ministry said in the statement.

The head of Japanese diplomacy also stressed the importance of the autonomy plan presented by Morocco, while expressing support for the mediation efforts of the UN Secretary General and his Special Envoy for the Sahara.

Mr. Hayashi also emphasized the excellent relations that Japan and Morocco have always enjoyed, based on the strong ties of friendship between the Japanese Imperial Family and the Moroccan Royal Family. In this context, he expressed Japan's determination to further strengthen these relations in a number of fields, particularly in the economic and investment fields.

For his part, Mr. Bourita hailed the age-old ties of friendship that have always existed between the two countries, while expressing the Kingdom of Morocco's readiness to deepen cooperation between the two countries in a wide range of fields, including the exchange of high-level visits, trade and investment, and political dialogue.

In addition, the two ministers exchanged views on pressing regional and international issues, including the situations in North Korea and Ukraine, the Japanese ministry said, noting that in this context, the two sides stressed their willingness to act together on various issues affecting the international community.