Japanese FM due to visit Iran for official talks

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida is slated to visit Tehran to hold talks with senior Iranian officials on various topics of mutual interests, including recent regional and international developments. Kishida will hold talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and other Iranian authorities between November 8 and 10, Japan’s state-run Kyodo news agency reported on Friday. The Japanese foreign minister will also discuss Tehran-Tokyo cooperation in the areas of environment protection and the campaign against drug trafficking with senior Iranian officials. Late in September, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe underlined the need for the further expansion of Tehran-Tokyo bilateral ties. During the meeting in New York, the Iranian president pointed to age-old Iran-Japan relations, and said, “There are good opportunities for the Iran and Japan to further enhance their mutual cooperation.” The Japanese prime minister, for his part, appreciated President Rouhani’s policy of direct interactions with other countries, and said, “Tokyo is quite hopeful for expansion of comprehensive ties with Iran in the framework of international regulations.” Diplomatic relations between Iran and Japan were formally established in 1926 and throughout history, the two countries have maintained a friendly and strongly cooperation in various arenas. The two countries' officials have held talks in different economic, trade, political and cultural fields in recent years to explore new ways of expanding bilateral ties.