TOKYO: Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Bahrain’s Prime Minister and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa held talks here on Friday to boost business cooperation.
Iwaya highlighted frameworks for such cooperation including the Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, Tokyo’s Foreign Ministry reported.
Iwaya and his Bahraini counterpart Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani held the first meeting under this agreement earlier this month.
Iwaya noted the nearly 100-year friendship between the two countries.
He said the relationship has expanded beyond the energy sector to politics, security, the environment, information and communication technology, space, and culture.
In their meeting in Tokyo on Friday, Iwaya and the crown prince also discussed the situation in the Middle East, including Israel’s war on Gaza.
Both sides reaffirmed the importance of realizing a “two-state solution” for Palestine and resolving conflicts through dialogue.
They also reaffirmed the critical importance of maritime security and agreed to continue close coordination in this area.
The crown prince said he was pleased that concrete projects are developing between the public and private sectors.
Later in the day, he had a meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the latter’s office. There was an honor guard ceremony before the signing of agreements and a dinner hosted by Ishiba.
