Saudi, Japanese Defense Ministers Discuss Military Cooperation

Japanese Minister of Defense Yasukazu Hamada receives his Saudi counterpart, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz in Tokyo. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
Japanese Minister of Defense Yasukazu Hamada receives his Saudi counterpart, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz in Tokyo. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
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Saudi, Japanese Defense Ministers Discuss Military Cooperation

Japanese Minister of Defense Yasukazu Hamada receives his Saudi counterpart, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz in Tokyo. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
Japanese Minister of Defense Yasukazu Hamada receives his Saudi counterpart, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz in Tokyo. (Saudi Defense Ministry)

Japanese Minister of Defense Yasukazu Hamada received in Tokyo on Monday his Saudi counterpart, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

The officials discussed bilateral relations, and military and defense cooperation, and reviewed the latest regional and international developments and efforts exerted towards them.

They also discussed issues of common concern.

Saudi officials at the talks included Chief of General Staff Lieutenant-General Fayyadh Al-Ruwaili, Assistant Minister of Defense for Executive Affairs Dr. Khaled Al-Biyari, Saudi Ambassador to Japan Naif Al-Fahadi and Director General of the Minister of Defense Office Hisham bin Abdulaziz bin Saif.

Representing Japan were Chief of Joint Staff Gen. Yoshida Yoshihide, Vice Minister of Defense for International Affairs Oka Masami, Commissioner of Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) Fukasawa Masaki, head of Defense Ministry's Policy Bureau Kazuo Masuda and Director General for International Affairs of the Bureau of Defense Policy at the Japanese Ministry of Defense Miura Jun.



Saudi Arabia, Kuwait Say Iran’s Attacks in Gulf Threat to Regional Security

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia, Kuwait Say Iran’s Attacks in Gulf Threat to Regional Security

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah held telephone talks on Thursday on regional developments.

They stressed that the repeated Iranian attacks on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the targeting of their vital facilities are a dangerous escalation that threatens the region's security and stability.

GCC countries will continue to exert all efforts and dedicate all resources to defending their territories, supporting their security, and maintaining their stability, they added.

Crown Prince Mohammed and Sheikh Meshal also exchanged greetings on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr, which starts on Friday.


King Salman: Saudi Arabia Has Worked Tirelessly to Support Peace in the World

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
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King Salman: Saudi Arabia Has Worked Tirelessly to Support Peace in the World

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud stressed on Thursday that Saudi Arabia has made “persistent efforts to support global peace and maintain security and stability through its firm approach to containing crises,” as demonstrated by its positions amid the conflict in the region.

In an address to citizens and residents of the Kingdom and Muslims around the world on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr, he said: "We ask the Almighty to grant victory to our brave heroes and soldiers stationed on our borders. May He protect our precious homeland, the Islamic nation, and the entire world, and may He bless us with lasting security and prosperity.”

“We praise Allah and thank Him for helping us to fast and pray during Ramadan. We congratulate you on the blessed Eid Al-Fitr and ask the Almighty to accept all our good deeds,” he added.

“May He make it an Eid of goodness and peace, and return it to our country and the Islamic nation with goodness, security, and stability,” he continued.

“We thank Allah for the many blessings bestowed upon our land, the greatest of which is the honor of caring for the Two Holy Mosques and serving those who visit them.”

“We have dedicated all our resources to this sacred duty, and we pledge that our efforts will never cease as we continue to provide everything needed for the comfort and safety of pilgrims,” said King Salman. “This is the heart of our nation’s mission, as it has been since its very beginning.”

“By the grace of Allah, millions of Muslims were able to perform Umrah and pray in the Two Holy Mosques this Ramadan with ease and peace of mind. This was made possible by a dedicated system of care and the sincere, hard work of our own sons and daughters,” he remarked.

King Salman and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received congratulatory messages from the leaders of Islamic countries on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr. 


Qatar PM Says Gas Hub Attack 'Clear Proof' Iran Not Only Targeting US Interests

 This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017.(Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)
This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017.(Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)
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Qatar PM Says Gas Hub Attack 'Clear Proof' Iran Not Only Targeting US Interests

 This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017.(Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)
This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017.(Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)

Qatar's prime minister said on Thursday Iran's attack on the world's largest gas facility in Qatar was "clear proof" against Tehran's claims of having targeted only US interests in the Gulf.

There were "persistent Iranian claims that these attacks are against American interests... and this claim is rejected and cannot be accepted," Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said, AFP reported.

"The clear proof of this is the attack that took place yesterday that targeted a natural gas facility in the State of Qatar," he added.