(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Japan is keen to find a quick solution to the ongoing Gulf crisis and has expressed its willingness to do everything that can encourage the parties to sit down for dialogue and resolve the crisis, said Toshihide Ando, Deputy Press Secretary of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
'Taro Kono, Japan's Minister of Foreign Affairs has hailed the results of his visit to Doha as the head of a delegation visiting regional Arab countries and he has stressed that Qatar is an important country for Japan not only to ensure energy security through imports from Qatar but also politically, said Toshihide Ando, Deputy Press Secretary of Japan's Foreign Ministry while addressing a press conference on Taro Kono's visit to Doha.
'The Gulf crisis has occupied an important part in the talks held by the Foreign Minister with the Qatari side, Ando said, stressing that Qatar is an important country in the region not only for its reserves of natural gas, on which Japan also depends but also as a country for regional and global stability.
Ando said: 'We support the Kuwaiti mediation and the American efforts. We are closely watching the situation. The Foreign Minister has expressed Japan's readiness to help and support mediation efforts and resolve the crisis through dialogue.
Ando said that Taro Kono had held talks with Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, and met with Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani.
Ando said the Qatari-Japanese talks touched bilateral relations, the Gulf crisis, the North Korean crisis, and issues of common concern. 'Japan views Qatar as one of the most friendly countries. Japan is also an important country for Qatar and both countries are looking forward to strengthening their relations in the future, he added.
He said that during talks, both sides discussed cooperation in sports, with Japan hosting the 2020 Olympic Games and Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022, adding that Japan supports Qatar's hosting of the World Cup and the two countries are keen to promote both international sporting events.
On North Korea crisis, he said that Pyongyang's nuclear tests pose an imminent threat to the international community, adding that Japan hopes for a new resolution and a strong UN Security Council at the earliest opportunity to stop North Korea's nuclear tests.
Asked whether Japan and Qatar were in the process of concluding new agreements, Ando said the visit was an opportunity for consultation and no new agreement had been signed.
On the readiness of Japan to help Qatar open alternative markets to counter effects of the blockade and regarding food security for Qatar, Ando said that the talks did not address issues of food security, expressing Japan's willingness to diversify relations with Qatar in all areas.
Ando said that the first round of Arab-Japanese dialogue is important to strengthen the relations of the two sides in all economic and political fields, adding that the Foreign Minister, who took office in August, is keen to strengthen relations with Arab countries and considers it one of the five pillars of Japanese foreign policy towards the Middle East.
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