Press Releases
Meeting between Foreign Minister IWAYA and His.Royal.Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain
On September 19, commencing at 3:00 p.m. for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a meeting with H.R.H. Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, who is visiting Japan. The overview of the meeting is as follows:
1. Bilateral Relations
Minister IWAYA stated that there is a history of nearly 100 years of friendship between the two countries, and that the relationship has expanded beyond the energy sector to a wide range of areas such as politics and security, environment, information and communication technology, space, and culture. He expressed his intention to further strengthen this relationship. He also mentioned that he held the first Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with Foreign Minister Zayani this month, where the two Ministers held very constructive discussions, and expressed his expectations for the development of concrete cooperation between enterprises under such frameworks.
Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman stated that he is pleased that concrete projects of cooperation are developing between the public and private sector, and expressed his hope to continue close cooperation with Japan.
2. Regional and International Situation
Both sides exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East, including Gaza. Regarding Palestine, both sides reaffirmed the importance of realizing a "two-state solution" and resolving conflicts through dialogue. They also reaffirmed the critical importance of maritime security, and concurred to continue close coordination in addressing the situation surrounding the Red Sea, as well as other issues.