VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is making a historic step by visiting Iran. It can be called historic, because Shinzo Abe will be the first Japanese Prime Minister visiting  Iran after 41 years. Although diplomatic relations between Japan and Iran have been going on for 90 years, since the Islamic Revolution 40 years ago, none of the Japanese Prime Ministers has visited Tehran. As an official government source said in Tokyo, during the visit that began on Wednesday  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was slated to hold talks with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. From the breakthrough made by Abe’s visit  to Tehran, Japan hopes for a positive impact, especially in an economic perspective. As is known, since the enactment of US sanctions against Iran, Japan has no longer imported oil from Iran. Japan transferred it to other Middle Eastern countries. In this connection,  Shinzo Abe's visit to Tehran, of course, intends to encourage to reduce the tension between the United States and Iran. Tensions between the United States and Iran have increased and is becoming  widespread, after the United States no longer recognized a nuclear agreement with Iran last year. Since then, the United States has extended economic sanctions to Iran. As a close ally of the United States, Japan certainly supports the sanctions imposed, including stopping oil imports from Iran. So it  is small wonder  if  before the visit to Tehran, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had spoken by telephone with Donald Trump, to discuss the Iranian Issue. And as conveyed by Chief of Japanese Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga in Tokyo, Donald Trump welcomed the bold initiative of Shinzo Abe to meet Iranian officials and make approaches to reduce the tensions that occurred. Will Shinzo Abe's mission succeed? Will relations between the United States and Iran improve due to  to Shinzo Abe's mediating role? That question certainly will not be answered only because Shinzo Abe has met and talked with the Supreme Leader of Iran and the President of Iran. Because the escalation of tension will certainly depend on the attitudes and decisions of each leader of  both Iran and the United States. One thing  can be ascertained,however,  Prime Minister Shinzo Abe breakthrough step will certainly have a positive impact on Japan itself. Because of the visit, the bilateral relations between Japan and Iran will be maintained. Even,  the image of the Abe government in the eyes of Ali Khamenei and Hasan Rouhani will increase. With this,  the relationship and cooperation between the two governments will very likely improve and increase.