Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Sunday

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is set to visit Saudi Arabia on Sunday as part of a three-day Middle East trip aimed at enhancing bilateral relations between several countries in the region and Japan.

Kishida is expected to hold meetings with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, to discuss a wide range of topics, including “regional and international affairs, Ukraine, as well as bilateral relations,” Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on its website.

Japan aims to boost ties with each country in key sectors such as energy, business opportunities for Japanese enterprises, and to promote an open international order outlined in the G7 Hiroshima Summit, according to the ministry.

Japan Gas Association (JGA) Chairman Takahiro Honjo said that he hoped the Japanese Prime Minister’s planned Middle East trip will help Japan ensure stable supplies of liquified natural gas (LNG) and other fuels, Reuters reported on Monday.

For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

This state visit will be the first by a Japanese leader to the Middle East since January 2020. Kishida is scheduled to arrive in Jeddah on Sunday and will depart from the Kingdom on Monday for his visit to Abu Dhabi.

Saudi-Japan relations

The Kingdom and Tokyo have formed strong bilateral ties since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1995. Saudi Defense and Aviation Minister Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz’s visit to Japan in 1960 marked the beginning of formal state visits by leaders of both nations.

The two countries have signed a host of agreements ranging from economic and technical cooperation, air services, taxes, and investment treaties.

In 2022, Saudi Arabia and Japan signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) in the fields of circular carbon economy, carbon recycling, clean hydrogen, and fuel ammonia, official Saudi Press Agency, SPA reported.

Japanese industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura noted after the signing that the Kingdom is “the largest dependable source” of crude oil supplies to Japan and “a reliable partner in this aspect,” according to SPA reports.

Japan relies heavily on the Middle East for its energy supplies and is dependent on the region for oil and gas imports.

Last year, the Kingdom and Tokyo renewed a crude oil deal between Japan’s Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) and Saudi Aramco, which would allow Aramco to store crude oil on the island of Okinawa for free for another three years in exchange for a priority claim on the oil stocks for Japan in case of an emergency, Reuters reported.

The deal has been running since 2010 and has been renewed every three years.

Other key agreements between the Kingdom and Tokyo according to the Japanese Foreign Affairs Ministry include the 1975 Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation, 2009 Agreement for Air Services, 2011 Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of tax evasion and the 2017 Investment Treaty.

Read more:

China's stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict: Balancing act or neutral observer?

More than 100 people killed in India floods amidst record rainfall

COP28: Govs must raise climate targets within next two months, UAE’s al-Jaber says