JAPAN'S EMPEROR EXTENDS INVITATION TO QATAR'S HEIR

C O N F I D E N T I A L DOHA 000018 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/07/2019 TAGS: PREL QA JA SUBJECT: JAPAN'S EMPEROR EXTENDS INVITATION TO QATAR'S HEIR APPARENT Classified By: Ambassador Joseph E. LeBaron, for reasons 1.4 (b, d). ¶1. (C) Japanese Embassy Political Chief Kazuhiro Higashi informed P/E Chief Rice January 7 that the Emperor of Japan has extended an invitation to Qatar's Heir Apparent, Shaykh Tamim, to visit Japan as an "honored guest" between mid-May and mid-June. According to Higashi, the Japanese Ambassador to Qatar is in preliminary discussions with the Amiri Diwan on the modalities of the proposed visit. ¶2. (C) Noting that Japan was the first country to help Qatar develop its main natural gas deposit, the North Field, Higashi expected that the Heir Apparent would accept the invitation. The main purpose of the visit from the Japanese perspective would be to cement ties between the Japanese and Qatari royal families, especially for the younger generation. Higashi expects that the visit would lead to a few bilateral agreements, mainly in the educational sector. Discussions on this, however, remain at an early stage. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: DoD has over time extended and renewed invitations to the Heir Apparent to visit the U.S., including CENTCOM headquarters in Tampa. We assess that the Japanese invitation will have greater appeal to the Heir Apparent, as the visit to Tokyo would be more ceremonial and less substantive in nature. LeBaron