TOKYO: Japan’s foreign minister Hayashi Yoshimasa on Wednesday, confirmed his country’s strong partnership with Kuwait in telephone talks with Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohamed Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti foreign minister.
“Kuwait is a strong partner of Japan, and the two countries are friends who had historically helped each other during the hardships of the Gulf War and the Great East Japan Earthquake,” minister Hayashi said in the talks that lasted for 20 minutes, the foreign ministry in Tokyo said.
Hayashi further stated that he would like to strengthen the close bilateral relationship between Japan and Kuwait in cooperation with Minister Ahmad.
In response, Minister Ahmad said that Japan and Kuwait had sustained a friendly relationship over the years, such as through cooperating in response to the Gulf War, and stated that he would like that to continue.
On the Ukrainian issue, the position of both countries was not the same, with Hayashi condemning Russia while his Kuwaiti counterpart, Minister Ahmad, condemned “acts that breach international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” without mentioning Russia, according to the ministry statement.
The two ministers exchanged views on the soaring crude oil prices in the wake of the situation in Ukraine. Minister Hayashi expressed his gratitude for Kuwait’s stable supply of crude oil to Japan and expressed his hopes for Kuwait to continue to play a leading role in stabilizing the international oil market.
In response, Minister Ahmad stated that Kuwait holds responsibility for stabilizing the international oil market as a member of OPEC and OPEC Plus and that Kuwait is willing to respond appropriately to the situation.
Japan imported from Kuwait 6.68 million barrels or 8.5 percent of its total crude imports in February 2022. Japanese companies are expected to increase their imports from Kuwait and other sources in the Middle East.
Japan-Kuwait Foreign Ministers confirm strong partnership
https://arab.news/rn4cx
Japan-Kuwait Foreign Ministers confirm strong partnership
- Hayashi further stated that he would like to strengthen the close bilateral relationship between Japan and Kuwait
- Minister Ahmad said that Japan and Kuwait had sustained a friendly relationship over the years
North Korea says it respects Iran’s choice of new supreme leader: KCNA
- North Korea, a longstanding US adversary, has previously condemned the US-Israeli attack on Iran an “illegal act of aggression”
- Defying US President Donald Trump’s desire to have a say in who runs Iran, the Islamic republic on Sunday named Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father, longtime ruler Ali Khamenei, who died in an Israeli airstrike on February 28
SEOUL: North Korea respects Iran’s choice of new supreme leader, state media reported Wednesday, as it accused the United States and Israel of destroying regional peace.
“With regard to the recent official announcement that Iran’s Assembly of Experts elected the new leader of the Islamic Revolution, we respect the rights and choice of the Iranian people to elect their supreme leader,” an unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesperson was quoted as saying by state news agency KCNA.
Defying US President Donald Trump’s desire to have a say in who runs Iran, the Islamic republic on Sunday named Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father, longtime ruler Ali Khamenei, who died in an Israeli airstrike on February 28.
North Korea, a longstanding US adversary, has previously condemned the US-Israeli attack on Iran an “illegal act of aggression.”
On Wednesday, the North Korean spokesperson reiterated that position, saying that the United States and Israel “are destroying the regional peace and security foundations and escalating instability worldwide.”
“Any rhetorical threats and military action, which violate the political system and territorial integrity of the relevant country, interfere in its internal affairs and openly advocate the attempt to overthrow its social system, deserve worldwide criticism and rejection as they can never be tolerated,” the spokesperson added.
In recent months, the Trump administration has mounted a push to revive high-level talks with Pyongyang, eyeing a potential summit between the US president and the North’s Kim Jong Un this year.
After largely ignoring those overtures for months, Kim recently said that the two nations could “get along” if Washington accepted Pyongyang’s nuclear status.
