Saudi Arabia to host Gulf-Japan ministerial meeting on Thursday

By Anadolu staff

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AA) – The foreign ministers of Japan and the Gulf countries will meet in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa is set to visit Saudi Arabia as part of a regional tour that also includes Jordan and Egypt.

In a statement, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) said the foreign ministers of Japan and the GCC countries will meet in Riyadh on Sept. 7.

Omani Foreign Minister and GCC Secretary General Jassim al-Budaiwi said the Gulf bloc and Japan are keen to boost their strategic dialogue.

“Relations with Japan aims to serve the joint interests of both sides at all fields and levels,” al-Budaiwi said.

Japan is one of the largest trade partners with the GCC countries.

According to the GCC, Japan ranks fourth in terms of exports from Gulf countries with a value of $76.7 billion and ranked fourth in terms of imports from the Gulf bloc, which are valued at $22 billion.

Japan relies on the six GCC countries for over 90% of its crude oil.

The GCC is made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar​​​​​​​