Editor TLN
July 16 () –
The Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, has arrived in Saudi Arabia to hold a meeting with the crown prince of the kingdom, Mohamed bin Salmán, with a clear economic aspect in which both leaders have signed more than twenty understanding agreements.
Kishida, accompanied by representatives of 44 Japanese companies, was received at the Peace Palace in the city of Jeddah by the country’s de facto heir and leader, who for some time now has reactivated ties with the international community after the period of ostracism that he went through as a result of the murder in 2018 of the journalist Yamal Jashogi in Istanbul.
US intelligence agencies implicated the heir in the reporter’s death, while the Saudi government has denied any involvement of the leader.
During the meeting, Kishida and Bin Salman have discussed a wide variety of economic issues and signed a total of 26 memorandums of understanding and investment agreements, according to the official Saudi news agency SPA.
The visit comes at a time when Japan and Saudi Arabia have increased their bilateral trade relations; more than 41,000 million euros in 2022, a growth of 42 percent compared to the previous year, which makes Japan the third largest trading partner of the kingdom by trade volume.
