Arab News Japan
TOKYO: Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry SAITO Ken left Tokyo on Saturday to attend the Japan-Saudi Energy Consultation and the Japan-Saudi 2030 Vision Ministerial Meeting in Saudi Arabia.
Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs FUKAZAWA Youichi also headed for Saudi to attend the 7th Japan-Saudi Vision Ministerial Meeting and to exchange views with local government officials on bilateral relations and regional and international situations, according to the foreign ministry.
Saito said before leaving that Saudi Arabia is an important country for Japan’s energy security, providing about 40% of Japan’s crude oil imports.
“Through ministerial meetings and bi-meetings, I will make efforts to stabilize the international crude oil market and will discuss ways to promote energy cooperation including in the decarbonization sector, strengthen the supply chain of important minerals, support Japanese companies’ local expansion, and promote investment toward Japan, METI Minister Saito said.
Saito will also attend a business investment forum in Saudi Arabia. He said he hopes that cooperation between the two countries in new fields such as medical care, healthcare, water, and space will progress.
The “Japan-Saudi Vision 2030” Ministerial Meeting will discuss the progress of bilateral cooperation based on the framework of the “Japan-Saudi Vision 2030” according to the ministry.
Meetings on “Japan-Saudi Vision 2030” were held the 1st October 2016 in Riyadh and in Tokyo they were held on 2nd March 2017, 3rd June and 4th October in 2019, and the 5th and 6th December meetings were held online in 2020 with another meeting held in Tokyo on 6th November in 2022.
Prime Minister Kishida visited Saudi Arabia in July this year, and