Japan will sign a grant agreement in August to fund a Diving Support Vessel for Egypt's Suez Canal Authority (SCA), boosting its rescue and salvage capacity, Japanese Ambassador IWAI Fumio said Thursday, according to an SCA statement. The deal is set to be formalised during the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), with a technical cooperation agreement to follow, Iwai said during a meeting with SCA Chairman Admiral Osama Rabie in Ismailia. The vessel is part of expanding cooperation between Egypt and Japan in the fields of maritime training, infrastructure, and emergency preparedness. Rabie stressed the importance of such partnerships amid persistent challenges in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb region, where the Suez Canal continues to operate without interruption. Rabie praised Japan's support, including collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japanese Shipowners' Association (JSA), calling the canal a key strategic and economic bridge between the two nations. The Suez Canal, which facilitates between 12 – 15 per cent of global trade, has continued operations despite disruptions from regional conflicts, including the war in Gaza and Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, said Rabie. "Our collaboration with Japanese institutions such as JICA has yielded tangible results, from technical training to marketing support," Rabie added. "This new grant is a testament to the trust and shared interests that underpin the Egypt–Japan relationship." IWAI commended Egypt's role in maintaining global trade flows, expressing confidence that regional stability would return soon. The Japanese delegation also discussed ongoing initiatives with JICA to enhance marketing and technical capacity within the SCA. Despite mounting geopolitical risks, Rabie reaffirmed the authority's commitment to ensuring reliable, uninterrupted services, noting that the new vessel would significantly bolster its emergency response fleet. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
