Japan Prime Minister Eyes Middle East Tour in July

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:26 JST, June 13, 2023

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning to visit Gulf countries in the Middle East in mid- or late July, according to several government sources.

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are among the countries Kishida is considering visiting. All of the nations produce a great deal of crude oil.

Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi met with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan regarding the visit at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo on Monday. The UAE minister said he was looking forward to Kishida’s trip.

Kishida had planned to visit the UAE and other Middle Eastern nations last summer, but he was forced to cancel after he became infected with the novel coronavirus.