RIYADH, APRIL 5, SPA -- JAPAN'S EMPEROR AKIHITO HAS HAILED THE DEEP-ROOTED AND DISTINGUISHED SAUDI-JAPANESE RELATIONS, WHICH DATE BACK TO 1938. 'THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA AND JAPAN ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR LAYING THE RIGHT BRICK AT THE PROPER PLACE ON THE BRIDGE OF THE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL PARTNERSHIP FOR THE 21ST CENTURY', HE SAID IN A STATEMENT PUBLISHED TODAY BY THE DAMMAM-BASED AL-YAUM ARABIC NEWSPAPER ON THE OCCASION OF THE CURRENT VISIT OF CROWN PRINCE SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ, THE DEPUTY PREMIER, DEFENSE AND AVIATION MINISTER AND INSPECTOR GENERAL, TO JAPAN. 'BONDS OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SAUDI ROYAL FAMILY AND THE JAPANESE IMPERIAL FAMILY HAVE BEEN STRENGTHENED THROUGH EXCHANGING VISITS BY OFFICIALS OF THE TWO FRIENDLY COUNTRIES', HE ADDED. THE EMPEROR RECALLED THE IMPORTANT VISIT PAID BY THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ (WHEN HE WAS THE CROWN PRINCE) TO JAPAN IN 1998 AND HIS SIGNING THE AGENDA OF THE SAUDI-JAPANESE COOPERATION ALONG WITH JAPANESE PREMIER JUNICHIRO KOIZUMI. HE NOTED THAT THE VISIT OF LATE KING FAISAL BIN ABDULAZIZ TO JAPAN IN 1971 AS WELL AS THE VISIT OF CROWN PRINCE SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ TO JAPAN (WHEN HE WAS THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS) IN 1960, HAD POSITIVELY CONTRIBUTED TO CEMENTING FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. --SPA 14 25 LOCAL TIME 11 25 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/351288