Japan-Saudi Arabia Relations
Telephone Talk between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia
On June 27, commencing at 4:15 p.m. for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, held a telephone talk with newly appointed H.R.H. Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The overview of the telephone talk is as follows.
1. Prime Minister Abe extended his congratulations to H.R.H. Prince Mohammed upon his appointment as Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister. He also stated that the relationship with Saudi Arabia, a key player for peace and prosperity in the Middle East and a country of major importance for the energy security of Japan, was extremely important for Japan and stressed that Japan would work hard with the public and private sectors on board to implement “Japan-Saudi Vision 2030 (PDF)
” which was agreed on the visit by His Majesty King Salman in this March.
2. Crown Prince Mohammed expressed his gratitude, stating that Japan occupied a special place for Saudi Arabia and that the relationship with Japan was important. He went on to mention that he was glad to see progress in cooperation in various fields through his and H.M. King’s visit to Japan and that he was committed to further enhancement of the bilateral relationship.
3. Furthermore, Prime Minister Abe praised Crown Prince Mohammed’s determination toward achieving peace and stability in the Middle East, including his efforts in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. He added that Japan would contribute to peace and stability in the region together with Crown Prince Mohammed.
4. Regarding the recent situation surrounding Qatar, Prime Minister Abe mentioned that he hoped that the region and the GCC would remain united through the leadership of Saudi Arabia, a leading nation of Arab and Islam countries. He also mentioned that Japan supported the mediation efforts made by Kuwait given that the issue should be resolved through dialogues among the parties concerned. Crown Prince responded that Saudi Arabia was making efforts for a settlement of the issue.