(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe headed to the Middle East on Friday in a six-day visit to Egypt, Palestine, Jordan and Israel.
The tour will include meetings with the countries' leaders aiming to stabilize the situation in the region and promote diplomacy.
"The peace and stability of the Middle East is extremely important for Japan. Based on policy of proactively contributing to peace, Japan will provide strong support in non-military fields," Abe told reporters prior to the departure at Tokyo's Haneda airport.
The Premier hoped to "send a message to the world that Japan will work with Middle East to build a tolerant and harmonious society." Abe is accompanied by business leaders from about 50 companies in hopes of promoting economic ties with the region.
He is scheduled to hold a summit with Egyptian President Abdelfatah Al-Sisi on Saturday to establish a new trusting relationship with Egypt, and deliver a policy speech on the Middle East.
Abe will then fly to Amman to meet Jordanian King Abdullah II on Sunday, where he is expected to show strong support for Jordan, which is on the front lines of fight against Islamic State militants and affected by the instability issues such as increasing refugees' influx Moreover, Abe will visit Israel on Monday to hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then Palestine to meet President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday before returning home on January 21. This will be the first tour to Jordan, Israel and Palestine by a Japanese Prime Minister since 2006.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.