His Excellency the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Engineer Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al-Khuraiji, received today at the Ministry's headquarters in Riyadh, the Japanese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director-General of the Middle East and Africa Bureau at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Keichi Iwamoto. The meeting was also attended by the Japanese Ambassador to the Kingdom, Mr. Yasunari Morino, reflecting the diplomatic importance of this encounter.
During the reception, the distinguished bilateral relations between the two friendly countries were reviewed, and ways to enhance them in various fields were discussed, in addition to exchanging views on a number of regional and international issues of common interest.
The depth of Saudi-Japanese relations
These talks come within the framework of the deep-rooted historical relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Japan, which extend for more than six decades, with formal diplomatic relations established between the two countries in 1955. These relations are characterized by mutual respect and continuous cooperation, making Japan an important strategic partner for the Kingdom in East Asia.
Saudi-Japanese Vision 2030
This meeting is particularly significant given the ongoing work within the framework of the "Saudi-Japanese Vision 2030," launched during the visit of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, to Japan in 2017, and the subsequent visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This shared vision aims to transform cooperation from traditional trade based on oil and automobiles to a comprehensive strategic partnership encompassing technology, clean energy, infrastructure, healthcare, and entertainment.
Economic and political cooperation
Saudi Arabia is Japan's primary supplier of crude oil, making it a cornerstone of Japanese energy security. Conversely, Japanese companies play a pivotal role in industrial and technological development projects within the Kingdom. Politically, the two countries share similar views on many complex issues in the Middle East, with Japan supporting Saudi Arabia's efforts to promote peace and stability in the region and valuing Riyadh's leading role in the Arab and Islamic worlds.
This meeting between Engineer Al-Khuraiji and his Japanese counterpart confirms the continuation of high-level diplomatic coordination, and the keenness of the leaderships in both countries to push the wheel of bilateral cooperation towards broader horizons that serve the interests of the two friendly peoples.
