JEDDAH: Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, who was in Jeddah on July 16, discussed the strong bilateral ties between Japan and Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Al-Salam Palace. He also met GCC Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi and Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Hissein Brahim Taha. During his meeting with the crown prince, Kishida reiterated Japan’s “unwavering support” for Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Vision 2030. According to a statement from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as part of the Saudi-Japan Vision 2030 initiative, Kishida agreed to further expand cooperation in fields such as medicine and healthcare, and to work with Saudi Arabia to make the Middle East a global hub for next-generation fuel and mineral resources. The two officials agreed to promote further exchange between the two countries in the political, diplomatic and security fields, and welcomed the establishment of a strategic dialogue agreed upon at the foreign minister level. As Japan has been receiving a stable supply of crude oil from the Kingdom, the crown prince said he would make efforts to benefit both consumers and oil producers. The Japanese prime minister stated his intentions to promote multi-faceted cooperation in areas such as the exploration and refining of important minerals, improvement of solar power generation, the production and utilization of hydrogen and ammonia, and using e-fuels. Kishida and the crown prince said they will consider a specific cooperation framework through the Japan-Saudi Lighthouse Initiative for Clean Energy Cooperation proposed by Saudi Arabia, and will work closely together to promote a balanced green transformation. According to the statement, Japanese companies are expressing a high interest in investing in Saudi Arabia, with many of the organizations accompanying Kishida on economic missions. The crown prince expressed his expectation that Japanese companies would contribute to Saudi Arabia’s industrial diversification. They also discussed Japan’s recent agreement to resume FTA negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council. Prime Minister Kishida said that he would like to expand Saudi investment in Japan in semiconductors and batteries, and expressed his expectation that concrete discussions will proceed to promote investment toward Japan. He also expressed hope that cooperation between the Bank for International Cooperation and Saudi Arabia’s National Debt Management Center will utilize the knowledge and investment from Japanese companies to support Saudi Arabia’s efforts through re-energy and energy conservation. The two leaders said that signing a memorandum of understanding between tourism authorities in both countries would boost travel opportunities and develop cooperation. Further bilateral cooperation should take place in the academic, educational, sports and cultural fields, the statement said. In this context, the two leaders welcomed the Japan External Trade Organization and Saudi Entertainment Academy’s signing of a memorandum of cooperation. Kishida said that this year’s G7 Hiroshima Summit based on the principles of the rule of law and the UN Charter was of great importance. He added that he would like to continue working closely with Saudi Arabia. In response, the crown prince expressed his desire to continue working with Japan in various fields. The two leaders also said that they would never tolerate unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force anywhere in the world. The Saudi leader said that the Kingdom supports Japan’s position on North Korea. • This originally appeared on Arab News Japan