Bahrain and Japan Foreign Ministers set sights on closer economic and business ties

Japan Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed his appreciation for the visit of his Bahrain counterpart, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani. (MOFA)
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Updated 30 September 2022
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Bahrain and Japan Foreign Ministers set sights on closer economic and business ties

TOKYO: Japan Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi held a meeting with his Bahraini counterpart, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, on Thursday and stated that he hopes that the relationship between the two countries will become closer in areas such as economy and business, based on the Japan-Bahrain Investment Agreement and other agreements.

Minister Zayani concurred with his statement and said he was pleased to see the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Bahrain.

Japan’s Foreign Ministry reported that the two ministers noted the upcoming resumption of visa-free travel from Bahrain to Japan, which had been suspended during the pandemic, and confirmed the early introduction of visa waiver measures for Bahraini diplomatic and official passport holders.

The ministers exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine and confirmed that it is essential for the international community to cooperate to ensure that Russia ends its aggression in Ukraine as soon as possible. They also agreed on the need for United Nations reform, including that of the United Nations Security Council.

Hayashi expressed his appreciation for the visit by Minister Zayani to Japan to attend the State Funeral for Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Minister Zayani, expressed his heartfelt condolences on the demise of the former Prime Minister, stating that he was a great leader and left a significant diplomatic legacy, according to the foreign ministry in Tokyo.

• This article originally appeared on Arab News Japan.


Syrian Interior Ministry foils terror plot, arrests cell members

Updated 10 February 2026
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Syrian Interior Ministry foils terror plot, arrests cell members

  • Security forces make arrests as cell attempts to set up Grad-type rocket launchers for attacking populated areas
  • Investigations reveal suspects were planning more attacks, had contact with external groups

LONDON: Syria’s Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday that it had thwarted a planned attack in the Mezzeh area of Damascus and had arrested more members of a terror cell preparing strikes on populated areas of the capital.

Security forces arrested members of the cell as they attempted to set up Grad-type rocket launchers. They, along with other cell members arrested last week, are accused of attacks targeting the Mezzeh area and a nearby military airport.

Forces seized the launching platforms before they could be used. Investigations revealed that the suspects were planning more attacks and had contact with external groups, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.

The ministry announced earlier this month the arrest of members of a terror cell linked to attacks in the Mezzeh area and its military airport, after weeks of surveillance of rocket launching sites in Daraya and Kafr Souseh.

Authorities from the Syrian Arab Republic said that the launching platforms and drones used by the cell in the attacks had been sourced from Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah, the SANA added.