KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — Malaysian’s Petronas will supply ‌Japanese utility firm JERA with 2 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per annum under a ‌20-year deal, the leaders of the two countries said today. 

The agreement, which will begin in 2028, comes as Japan looks to beef up its energy reserves to cope with a global LNG crunch linked to the war in Iran.

“Amid growing uncertainty in the international energy situation, cooperation ‌with Malaysia, a stable supplier of ⁠LNG to Japan, is becoming ⁠increasingly important,” Japanese Prime Minister ⁠Sanae Takaichi said at ⁠a ⁠press conference following a meeting with her Malaysian counterpart Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar is on a ⁠three-day working visit to Tokyo, where he has been meeting with government and industry officials.

The two countries also agreed to work together to ensure stable supplies of ⁠fertiliser feedstocks and strengthen critical mineral supply chains, Takaichi said, without providing details.

Anwar said ⁠the two countries will seek to boost ⁠trade ⁠in ringgit and yen currencies, as well as cooperate on AI, semiconductors, defence and other energy ‌initiatives. — Reuters