TOKYO: Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, received a courtesy call from Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during his visit to Japan. At the outset of the meeting, on July 19, commencing at 10:25, Prince Farhan expressed his heartfelt condolences on behalf of the people of Saudi Arabia, on the passing of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He also stated that Saudi Arabia will always stand with Japan, and that he would like to further strengthen the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Japan.  In response, Prime Minister Kishida expressed his gratitude for Prince Farhan’s visit to Japan and his deep appreciation for the letters of condolence from King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud on the passing of Abe. Kishida also stated that he looks to further expand the friendly relationship with Saudi Arabia as a strategic partner, under the “Japan-Saudi Vision 2030,” according to the foreign ministry in Tokyo. Further, Kishida expressed his appreciation for the stable supply of crude oil from Saudi Arabia and requested for continued cooperation in stabilizing the international crude oil market. In response, Prince Farhan stated that the strategic partnership between Japan and Saudi Arabia is solid, and expressed that he would like to continue cooperation with Japan, including in efforts towards stabilizing the international crude oil market. • This article originally appeared on Arab News Japan