UPDATE - Qatari emir welcomes rise of partnership with Japan to ‘strategic level’

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS; REVISES DECK

By Anadolu staff

ISTANBUL (AA) - The emir of Qatar on Tuesday welcomed the elevation of ties with Japan to the "strategic partnership level," the Emir’s Office said in a statement.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a meeting in Doha with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who arrived earlier on Tuesday in the Qatari capital for an official visit.

The enhanced relations, Al Thani said, "will contribute to the development of cooperation in areas of common interest."

According to the statement, the meeting tackled the existing cooperation between the two countries, especially in the fields of the economy and energy.

For his part, Kishida expressed his pleasure at announcing the elevation of partnership to the strategic level in order to strengthen bilateral relations, especially in energy, the economy, defense, security and academic exchanges.

He extended his congratulations to the Qatari emir on the 10th anniversary of his rise to power and highlighted the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Qatari-Japanese diplomatic relations.

The Saudi capital served as the first stop on the Japanese premier's Gulf tour on Sunday. Before arriving in Doha, he traveled to the United Arab Emirates and on Monday, the two nations signed 23 agreements to expand their mutual trade and investment.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat