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.



EU, Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Oman Condemn Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia

General view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
General view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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EU, Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Oman Condemn Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia

General view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
General view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

The European Union, Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Oman condemned recent Houthi militia attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, reaffirming their support for the Kingdom’s security and calling for an end to actions that threaten regional stability.

The European Union strongly condemned the attacks targeting the Kingdom, including the recent hostility that targeted Makkah, reaffirming its full solidarity with the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported Friday.

“The targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure is unacceptable,” the spokesperson of the European Union said in a statement. He warned that Houthi attacks undermine efforts to achieve a non-military solution to the conflict in Yemen and further increase threats to regional security.

The EU called on the Houthi militias to halt all military actions, reiterating its commitment to supporting the Yemeni people and government and working with the United Nations, regional partners, and the international community to reduce escalation and achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace in Yemen.

Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Oman also condemned the attacks considering them a threat to the Kingdom’s security and stability and a flagrant violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

They expressed full solidarity with Saudi Arabia, affirming support for all efforts to safeguard its security and stability and ensure the freedom and safety of maritime navigation.


Turkish Defense Ministry: Ongoing Houthi Threat in Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Jeopardize Regional Security

Zeki Aktürk, Spokesperson for the Turkish Ministry of Defense (Turkish Ministry of Defense)
Zeki Aktürk, Spokesperson for the Turkish Ministry of Defense (Turkish Ministry of Defense)
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Turkish Defense Ministry: Ongoing Houthi Threat in Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Jeopardize Regional Security

Zeki Aktürk, Spokesperson for the Turkish Ministry of Defense (Turkish Ministry of Defense)
Zeki Aktürk, Spokesperson for the Turkish Ministry of Defense (Turkish Ministry of Defense)

The Turkish Ministry of Defense condemned last weekend’s attempt to target the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as Houthi actions that threaten regional stability, stressing the need to bring such attacks to an end as soon as possible.

"We condemn the drone attack that targeted Saudi Arabia last weekend and the actions carried out by the Houthis, and we emphasize the need to end such attempts that threaten regional stability as soon as possible”, Turkish Defense Ministry spokesperson Zeki Akturk said during the weekly press briefing held at the ministry’s headquarters in Ankara.

He added—according to Anadolu news agency—that "the ongoing Houthi threat in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab negatively affects not only regional security but also international maritime trade and global stability."


Saudi Minister of Interior Meets with Qatari Counterpart

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz met with Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) of Qatar Sheik Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz met with Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) of Qatar Sheik Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. (SPA)
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Saudi Minister of Interior Meets with Qatari Counterpart

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz met with Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) of Qatar Sheik Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz met with Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) of Qatar Sheik Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz met Thursday in Riyadh with Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) of Qatar Sheik Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Saudi Press Agency said.

The two officials reviewed security cooperation and coordination between the two brotherly countries, ways to strengthen them, and several issues of common interest.

Following the meeting, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud and Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad co-chaired the fourth meeting of the Security and Military Committee emanating from the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council.

At the outset of the meeting, the Saudi minister noted that the committee's meeting was held upon the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in light of the distinguished relations between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

He noted that the agreements reached during the eighth meeting of the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council, held in Riyadh under the chairmanship of the Crown Prince and the Emir of Qatar, embody the deep-rooted historical ties between the two brotherly countries and support their cooperation in various fields, including security and military affairs.

He underscored the importance of doubling efforts and enhancing cooperation and coordination, particularly in addressing regional and international challenges, in a manner that contributes to achieving the aspirations of the two countries' leaderships and peoples for greater security, stability, and prosperity.