Japan supports Middle East peace, stability

Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, has headed the his country's delegation to the first ministerial meeting for Arab-Japanese Political Dialogue in the Arab League headquarters in Egypt.

The meeting was chaired by Abdelkader Messahel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Algeria and attended by Taro Kono, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and his Arab counterparts in the presence of Arab League's Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, according to UAE News Agency (WAM).

Abdelkader Messahel stressed the importance of laying strong foundations for a constructive Arab-Japanese political dialogue amidst the current challenges and developments in the region. ''We hope this meeting would bring Arab-Japanese views more closer,'' he said. He spoke about the current situation in some crisis-struck Arab countries including Palestine, Syria and Yemen.

The Japanese foreign minister said Tokyo was seeking to exert more efforts to bring stability and peace in the region. ''Middle East will top my priorities as the region remains the key driving force of Japan's economy and a major contributor to social and economic welfare in Japan,'' he added.

Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said prospects of Arab-Japanese cooperation must transcend political, trade, cultural and tourist boundaries to a serious, regular political coordination, WAM reported.

Source:BNA