Japan, UAE to cooperate towards stabilization of international oil market

Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan spoke to Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday. (File/@MohamedBinZayed/AFP)
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Updated 11 December 2023
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Japan, UAE to cooperate towards stabilization of international oil market

  • Sheikh Mohammed told Kishida that UAE was keen on boosting relations with Japan in energy

TOKYO: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, spoke with Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio about the Ukraine crisis and assured him that the UAE was keen to maintain energy security and keep global markets stable.

In a Japan-UAE Summit telephone talk, Sheikh Mohammed also told Kishida that his country was keen on boosting relations with Japan in the energy field.

Kishida said that the UAE was a strategic partner for Japan and expressed his intention to foster close ties with Sheikh Mohamed, and expressed his congratulations on the success of Expo 2020 Dubai.

Sheikh Mohamed outlined his renewed hopes for strengthening bilateral relations with Japan, and also expressed his gratitude for Japan’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, according to the ministry.

The two leaders also exchanged views on “soaring” crude oil prices in the wake of the situation in Ukraine.

Kishida called for the UAE’s further proactive contribution to the stabilization of the crude oil market as a member of OPEC, and the two leaders confirmed that the UAE and Japan would cooperate towards the stabilization of the international oil market.

The leaders confirmed the strengthening of their bilateral relationship, including through signing the framework document for the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Initiative,” and in promoting cooperation in various fields, especially as 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the UAE.

Kishida requested the UAE’s support in securing safe means for Japanese nationals in Russia to return to Japan. In response, Sheikh Mohamed said that the UAE was committed to closely cooperating with Japan.

The two leaders exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East, including Yemen and Iran, and confirmed the continuation of their close cooperation.

(With inputs from WAM)

* This article originally appeared on Arab News Japan. Click here to read it.


Spain highlights importance of Gaza reconstruction

Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa, and the Spanish foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares. (AP)
Updated 02 January 2026
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Spain highlights importance of Gaza reconstruction

  • Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa, and the Spanish foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, on Friday discussed the latest developments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
During their telephone conversation they emphasized the need to intensify international efforts to end the Israeli occupation and halt attacks and settler violence, and to secure the release of Palestinian funds held by Israeli authorities.
They affirmed the importance of ongoing efforts relating to plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, and Europe’s significant role in this process. Mustafa and Albares highlighted the need to unify Palestinian institutions in Gaza with those in the West Bank, with the aim of establishing a Palestinian state in line with international resolutions, including last year’s New York Declaration.
They also discussed coordination between their countries, and the strengthening of Spain’s political, diplomatic and financial support for Palestine, and Mustafa thanked Spain for its ongoing support.
Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway. Estephan Salameh, the Palestinian finance and planning minister, is set to visit Spain this month to discuss enhanced cooperation, particularly in the areas of development and reconstruction. Meanwhile, Israel continues operating in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Prisoners media office said on Friday that Israel carried out numerous raids across the territory, including the major cities of Ramallah and Hebron, according to The Associated Press.
Nearly 50 people were detained, following the arrest of at least 50 other Palestinians on Thursday, most of those in the Ramallah area.
As 2026 begins, the shaky 12-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has largely ended large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza. 
But Palestinians are still being killed by Israeli fire, especially along the so-called Yellow Line that delineates areas under Israeli control, and the humanitarian crisis is compounded by frequent winter rains and colder temperatures.
On Friday, American actor and film producer Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. 
The only crossing between the territory and a country other than Israel, it remains closed despite Palestinian requests to reopen it to people and aid.
Jolie met with members of the Red Crescent on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing and then visited a hospital in the nearby city of Arish to speak with Palestinian patients on Friday, according to Egyptian officials.
Aid groups say not enough shelter materials are getting into Gaza during the truce.