The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday, Nov. 13, edition that Japan is eager to buy more Canadian liquefied natural gas as it works to reduce its dependence on Russian imports, a senior official with its Foreign Ministry says. The Globe's Steven Chase writes that Toshihiro Kitamura, director-general for press and public diplomacy at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said energy security is one of the top priorities in relations with Canada. He noted that Prime Minister Mark Carney is now marketing the country as an "energy superpower." He said Japan is also interested in buying more critical minerals from Canada including lithium and graphite, both key ingredients for electric-vehicle battery production. Japan's Mitsubishi is a 15-per-cent joint-venture partner in the LNG Canada project that began shipping liquefied natural gas to Asia in June. Mr. Kitamura said the Japanese company is ready to engage in discussions as plans for the Phase 2 expansion develop. Mr. Kitamura said Japan is also interested in Canada's efforts to develop a revenue-generating small modular nuclear reactor, with Hitachi playing a key role. Mr. Carney has pitched Canada as a reliable trading partner.