Japanese PM lauds ties with Kuwait

KUWAIT: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lauded the ties linking Japan to the Arab world, affirming that his country was eager to boost relation on all possible levels with several Arab countries, including Kuwait. Abe’s statement came during his speech to the annual Arab-Japanese day celebration held late Tuesday in Tokyo.

A statement by the Kuwaiti Embassy said that the Japanese Prime Minister expressed special interest boosting ties with Kuwait. It indicated that Abe touched on the past visit by His Highness the Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah to Japan in May of 2016, affirming that Japan’s Prime Minister indicated that it was one of the highlights of Kuwaiti-Japanese relations.

Shinzo Abe also touched on Japanese-Arab cultures, saying that both sides shared similar values and views. Overcoming obstacles in the way of enhancing Japanese-Arab relations was necessary, said Abe who reiterated his nation’s eagerness to extend ties with the Arab world. Meanwhile, Kuwait Ambassador to Tokyo Mansour Al-Otaibi said that relations between Japan and the Arab world have witnessed great leaps in recent years, resulting in several signed accords and agreements aimed at bolstering ties in all fields. Otaibi, who also chairs the council of Arab Ambassadors to Japan, affirmed that the Asian nation played an integral role in world politics, indicating that Tokyo’s stance on important regional and global issues was to be admired by all nations around the globe.