Japan PM Shinzo Abe Meets King Salman In Riyadh, Crown Prince In AlUla
By Arab News
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a meeting with Saudi King Salman to exchange views on the regional situation on Sunday during his Middle East tour.
Abe is visiting the region in the hope of easing tensions between the United States and Iran.
In their 40-minute talks, the king expressed expectations that his country and Japan will deepen their strategic partnership in various fields, not only in the area of energy.
Later, Abe met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the ancient site of AlUla. The Japanese leader and the crown prince enjoyed traditional Saudi hospitality inside a Bedouin tent.
They went on to hold talks over bilateral ties, “especially in the fields of economy, trade, investment and culture,” the Saudi Press Agency reported. They also reviewed a number of regional and international issues.
Japan’s foreign ministry said Abe’s meeting withthe crown prince dealt with tensions in the region and that the two countries agreed to work to support peace in the region.
As he arrived in AlUla, Abe and his delegation were received by Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture and the Governor of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula.
Abe and King Salman confirmed their cooperation toward the successes of the Group of 20 meetings to be hosted by Saudi Arabia this year and the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
Abe is believed to have explained that Japan’s dispatch of a vessel and aircraft of the Maritime Self-Defense Force to the Middle East is designed to strengthen information gathering to secure the safety of Japan-related commercial ships.
Japan’s foreign ministry said Abe’s meeting withthe crown prince dealt with tensions in the region and that the two countries agreed to work to support peace in the region.
The day’s session was the fifth meeting between the two leaders since the start of Abe’s current administration in December 2012. At that time, King Salman was Crown Prince.
Earlier on Sunday, Abe met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.
