Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on 31 October urged G20 nations to strengthen oil stockpiles and maintain free and transparent energy trade, while unveiling plans for deeper cooperation with Gulf countries to shore up energy security. The call came during Session 2 of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta, according to an official Japanese government readout.

Three Priorities Japan Put on the Table

Motegi laid out a three-point agenda for the G20: ensuring free and transparent energy trade, strengthening oil stockpiles through international coordination, and deepening cooperation between energy-producing and energy-consuming nations. He argued that the G20 — which collectively accounts for more than 80 per cent of global GDP and energy consumption — bore shared responsibility for resolving the ongoing supply crisis, exacerbated by developments in the Middle East.

This comes amid heightened global anxiety over energy supply chains, with Asian economies among the most exposed to price volatility and supply disruption stemming from geopolitical instability in oil-producing regions.

Japan's Gulf Cooperation Plan

Tokyo also disclosed that it is formulating a comprehensive cooperation plan with Gulf countries aimed at bolstering their economic and energy resilience. The readout did not specify a timetable, a funding amount, or the precise countries that would participate. Motegi framed the initiative as part of Japan's broader strategic objective of bridging Middle Eastern oil producers with Asian consumers — with Japan positioning itself as an active facilitator through cooperation on energy supplies, storage infrastructure, and engineering.

Notably, Japan cited existing financing and engineering cooperation for desalination plants and liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction facilities in Middle Eastern countries as a foundation for deepening this engagement. Officials indicated that expanding such activities would contribute meaningfully to global energy security.

POWERR Asia Initiative in Focus

Motegi also highlighted Japan's POWERR Asia initiative, launched in April — several months before the Atlanta meeting — as a core pillar of its response to supply instability. The initiative addresses three time horizons: immediate energy supply needs, medium-to-long-term regional stockpiling systems, and longer-term diversification of energy sources. Friday's presentation described ongoing activities under the programme; it was not an announcement of a new scheme.

Japan pointed to work already under way to expand stockpiles across Asia, describing the region as heavily affected by supply instability. The Japanese readout did not identify any new allocation or project specifically targeting India.

G20 as the Forum for Energy Coordination

In his remarks, Motegi described the G20 as 'the premier forum for international economic cooperation' and emphasised its unique role in convening both producer and consumer nations on energy supply challenges. He called on all G20 members to coordinate closely and stated that Japan was determined to play a leading role in that effort.

The Atlanta session reflects a broader international push to institutionalise energy security frameworks ahead of what analysts warn could be a prolonged period of supply uncertainty. Whether the G20's major energy consumers — including India, China, and the European Union — align with Japan's stockpiling and trade-transparency proposals remains to be seen.