Japan PM Arrives in Qatar on Final Leg of Gulf Tour 

13 July 2023, Belgium, Brussels: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a press conference after Japan-EU Summit. (European Council/dpa)
13 July 2023, Belgium, Brussels: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a press conference after Japan-EU Summit. (European Council/dpa)
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Japan PM Arrives in Qatar on Final Leg of Gulf Tour 

13 July 2023, Belgium, Brussels: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a press conference after Japan-EU Summit. (European Council/dpa)
13 July 2023, Belgium, Brussels: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a press conference after Japan-EU Summit. (European Council/dpa)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Qatar on Tuesday for the final leg of a Gulf tour.

Kishida is expected to hold talks with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Minister of State for Energy and QatarEnegy's chief executive Saad Al Kaabi.

Kishida was greeted at the airport by Minister of Economy and Industry Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Al-Thani, the state-run Qatar News Agency reported.

His visit reflects the keenness of the Qatari and Japanese leaderships to strengthen and develop bilateral relations and push them towards broader horizons.

They are also keen on bolstering cooperation and coordination for the benefit of the two countries and their friendly peoples, and in the interest of international peace and stability, said QNA.

Qatar and Japan share decades of fruitful partnership and constructive relations. They established diplomatic ties in 1971.

Mutual visits by senior officials have helped develop and expand these ties.

Sheikh Tamim visited Tokyo in September 2022 to attend the funeral of late PM Shinzo Abe. He had previously made trips to Japan in 2015 and 2019.

The agreements and memorandums of understanding signed between Qatar and Japan, and the joint declaration regarding the establishment of a strategic dialogue mechanism, reflect the sincere desire to strengthen bilateral relations and encourage continuous cooperation in all fields.

Qatar and Japan have focused primarily on economy, trade and energy. However, their relations began to expand in recent years to include broader domains such as politics, security, defense, investment, education, health, scientific and medical research, science and technology, tourism, infrastructure development, and the development of Human resources and training of cadres.

Kishida's Qatar visit follows a stop in Saudi Arabia on Sunday in which Riyadh said it remained committed to securing oil supplies for Japan and would continue cooperating with Tokyo on clean hydrogen, ammonia and recycled carbon fuels.

In Abu Dhabi on Monday, Kishida and UAE leaders agreed to a new scheme to accelerate energy security, as well as a framework for the UAE to invest Japanese chip and battery technology.



Saudi Arabia Urges Need to End Suffering in Gaza

Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah delivers his remarks at the 17th BRICS Summit 2025 in Rio de Janeiro. (SPA)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah delivers his remarks at the 17th BRICS Summit 2025 in Rio de Janeiro. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Urges Need to End Suffering in Gaza

Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah delivers his remarks at the 17th BRICS Summit 2025 in Rio de Janeiro. (SPA)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah delivers his remarks at the 17th BRICS Summit 2025 in Rio de Janeiro. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia called on Monday for an end to the “catastrophic” situation in Gaza in wake of Israel’s war on the enclave.

On behalf of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah participated in the first session of the second day of the 17th BRICS Summit 2025 in Rio de Janeiro.

Prince Faisal stressed that the grave crises around the world serve as a reminder of shared responsibilities and the urgent need to avoid escalation to maintain security and prevent the expansion of conflicts.

On Gaza, he condemned the Israeli attacks on health infrastructure and the targeting of civilians, describing them as “blatant violations of international humanitarian law and a direct challenge to the rules-based international order”.

Prince Faisal called on the international community “to shoulder its responsibilities in ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians”.

“The humanitarian suffering in Gaza cannot be overlooked,” he said, urging “serious international efforts to end the crisis and achieve a lasting, comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution in accordance with international law.”

The Kingdom is attending the summit as an invited country to join the BRICS group. The session was titled: Environment, United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), and Global Health.

Prince Faisal emphasized the importance of boosting cooperation in the fields of climate and health, reiterating the Kingdom’s commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement. He called for a practical and balanced approach that considers the diverse circumstances of different countries.

He further noted that the Kingdom, as one of the countries facing water scarcity, has developed advanced methods and technologies to manage environmental and water resource challenges. He highlighted Saudi Arabia's leadership in establishing the Global Water Organization, which aims to ensure equitable access to this vital resource.

On the health sector, Prince Faisal stated that Saudi Vision 2030 includes comprehensive reforms focused on prevention and integrated care. He also reviewed the Kingdom’s expertise in managing large gatherings such as Hajj and Umrah and in developing planning and early warning systems, reinforcing its position as a regional hub for health emergency preparedness and response in accordance with international standards.