Japan PM Fumio Kishida receives courtesy call from Jordan deputy PM

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida receives Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Al-Safadi during a courtesy call on Tuesday. (MOFA)
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Updated 15 March 2023
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Japan PM Fumio Kishida receives courtesy call from Jordan deputy PM

DUBAI: Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida received a courtesy call from Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Al-Safadi on Tuesday.

At the outset, Kishida welcomed Al-Safadi’s visit to Japan and stated that the Asian country attaches great importance to the strategic partnership with Jordan.

In response, Al-Safadi expressed gratitude for various assistance provided by Japan, and stated that Jordan values traditional friendship with Japan and hopes to continue to develop bilateral relationship in a wide range of areas.

Kishida referred to the third Japan-Jordan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue that was held March 13, and both sides concurred that the two countries will continue to strengthen cooperation in various fields including politics, economy and security.

On Middle East Peace, Japan’s PM expressed his appreciation for various diplomatic efforts by Jordan, and the two sides shared their concern about the current situation in Israel and Palestine, where tensions remain high, and confirmed that they will continue to work together toward the realization of a “two-state solution.”

The two sides also discussed regional developments, including in East Asia and Ukraine, and confirmed that they would work together in dealing with North Korea, including on the abductions issue.

This article originally appeared on Arab News Japan


EU leaders reject Trump’s tariffs threat over Greenland

Updated 4 sec ago
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EU leaders reject Trump’s tariffs threat over Greenland

  • “We won’t let ourselves be intimidated,” Kristersson said
  • “Only Denmark and Greenland decide questions that concern them”

AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands’ foreign minister on Sunday said that US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose new tariffs on ​European allies until they agree to sell Greenland to the United States is “blackmail.”

“It’s blackmail what he’s doing ... and it’s not necessary. It doesn’t help the alliance (NATO) and it also doesn’t help Greenland,” David van Weel said in ‌an interview ‌on Dutch television.

In a post ‌on ⁠Truth ​Social ‌on Saturday, Trump said additional 10 percent import tariffs would take effect on February 1 on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Great Britain — countries that have agreed to contribute personnel ⁠to a NATO exercise on Greenland.

Van Weel said ‌the Greenland mission was ‍intended to show ‍the US Europe’s willingness to help defend ‍Greenland and he was opposed to Trump making a connection with diplomacy over the island and trade.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson earlier rejected Trump’s threat to European nations of swinging tariffs if they did not let him acquire Greenland.

“We won’t let ourselves be intimidated,” he said in a message sent to AFP. “Only Denmark and Greenland decide questions that concern them.

“I will always defend my country and our allied neighbors,” he added, stressing that this was “a European question.

“Sweden is currently having intensive discussions with other EU countries, Norway and the United Kingdom to find a joint response,” he added.