RIYADH, 26 April 2007 — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will arrive in the Kingdom on Saturday as part of a five-nation Middle East tour that will also take him to the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt.
During the visit, Prime Minister Abe will hold intensive political consultations with senior Arab leaders on a range of regional and international issues, and seek support to forge closer economic ties with the Middle East nations. “The Japanese premier will visit the Kingdom for two days on April 28 and 29,” said a statement issued by the Japanese Embassy yesterday.
“The prime minister is scheduled to visit the United States on April 26 from where he will come to the Middle East,” said Katsunobu Takada, an embassy spokesman. “Riyadh will be the first stopover of Prime Minister Abe after the US,” said Takada, adding that Abe will proceed to the UAE on April 29.
During the trip, Abe’s talks with high-ranking Saudi and Arab leaders will focus on Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iran. The Japanese prime minister will also speak about bilateral economic cooperation, including in the oil sector.
On his visit to the Kingdom, Abe, who will be accompanied by around 300 Japanese officials and media men, will hold talks with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and senior officials.
Asked about the major agreements to be signed during the visit, Takada said the prime minister was likely to witness the signing of two agreements — a memorandum of understanding concerning an aviation treaty and another promoting cultural exchange. He added that a joint declaration would be issued on the concluding day of the visit.
