TOKYO: Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on Sunday as part of a three-day Arab world visit aimed at enhancing bilateral ties between the regional countries and Japan.
Japanese PM to Visit KSA
According to Al Arabiya, the Japanese PM is expected to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President of UAE Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. They would discuss a wide range of matters, including bilateral ties, “regional and global affairs, Ukraine,” Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Tokyo aims to boost relations with each nation in key fields such as business opportunities and energy for Japanese enterprises and to promote an open global order outlined in the G7 Hiroshima Summit, the ministry added.
This state trip will be the first by a Japanese leader to the Arab world since January 2020. Japan’s Prime Minister is scheduled to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Sunday and will leave the Kingdom for UAE on Monday.
KSA-Japan Ties
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Japan have formed strong bilateral relations since the formation of diplomatic ties. The two sides have inked a host of agreements ranging from technical cooperation and economic, taxes, air services, and investment agreements.
In 2022, Riyadh and Tokyo inked a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) in the sectors of circular carbon economy, clean hydrogen, and fuel ammonia, the SPA reported.
Last year, Saudi Arabia and Japan renewed a crude oil agreement between Japan’s Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) and Saudi Aramco.
