Japanese premier speaks to Saudi crown prince over oil supply stability

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the phone to discuss the energy supply stability.

Kishida said they confirmed that Japan and Saudi Arabia will cooperate in their responses to the situation in Ukraine.

The phone call came amid Russia’s war on Ukraine which has resulted in a rise in global energy prices as the US and its allies are blocking energy supplies from Russia after it launched a war on its western neighbor on Feb. 24.

“We had an in-depth discussion about measures to counter the steep rise in crude oil prices,” Kishida said on Twitter.

On Tuesday, the Japanese premier spoke to Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, urging the de facto ruler that the United Arab Emirates must make “proactive contributions” as a major oil producer.

​​​​​​​Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are two major oil exporters.

Although energy-deficient Japan has walked a cautious path on stopping energy imports from Moscow, it has imposed sanctions on President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials and financial institutions.

The phone call between Kishida, leader of a key US ally, and Al Nahyan comes amid reports that top officials of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been giving US President Joe Biden the cold shoulder.

According to Wall Street Journal, Al Nahyan and bin Salman “both declined US requests” to speak to Biden “in recent weeks”.

“We agreed to deepen our cooperation towards stabilizing the international crude oil market and promoting a carbon-neutral era,” Kishida said about his phone call with bin Salman.

The Russia-Ukraine war, which began Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow, and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.

At least 780 civilians have been killed and 1,252 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war.

Nearly 3.2 million refugees have fled to neighboring countries, according to the UN.