Mohamed bin Zayed Meets Prime Minister of Japan

His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces met this evening at the Emirates Palace with the Prime Minister of Japan H.E. Shinzo Abe. They discussed ways to enhance bilateral ties and cooperation in the different fields.

Sheikh Mohamed welcomed the Japanese Prime Minister and expressed the hope that his visit to the UAE will further boost strong relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and achieve aspirations of the two countries' leaderships and peoples for wider horizons of mutual cooperation.

He added that the UAE under the wise leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, attaches great importance to its historic ties with Japan and seeks to further them in a way that will serve mutual interests of the two friendly peoples. He lauded the progress relations between the two countries had witnessed since the 1970s.

"Our meeting today provides an excellent opportunity to talk and share ideas on bilateral issues, to discuss means of cementing our strategic partnership and to exchange expertise in different domains," he said. Sheikh Mohamed also praised the great attention given to the Emirati students, saying the graduation of the students from Japanese educational institutions was a source of pride.

Japanese Prime Minister said he was pleased to visit the UAE which he described as "a key strategic partner of Japan, thanks to the progressive economic and commercial relations." He added that his visit was aimed at strengthening Japan's relations with the UAE in political, economic and cultural spheres, as well as discussing issues of mutual interests, current developments and efforts to support peace and stability in the region. He expressed thanks of the Japanese government to the UAE for the assistance given during the earthquakes and disasters.

The Japanese Prime Minister extended an invitation to Sheikh Mohamed to visit Japan. During the meeting, the two sides said they were determined to strengthen cooperation in economic, investment and renewable energy and to raise the volume of bilateral trade.

The meeting also touched on commercial relations and future plans for supporting existing partnerships between public and private sectors in the two countries. Also discussed were political relations and joint cooperation in enhancing peace, security and stability in the region and supporting international humanitarian efforts in different parts of the world. Sheikh Mohamed hosted a dinner banquet in honour of the Japanese Prime Minister and his accompanying delegation.

The meeting and the banquet were attended by Mohamed Ahmed Al Murr, Speaker of the Federal National Council, H.H. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Ruler s Representative in the Eastern Region, H.H. Sheikh Surour bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor and Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism '&' Culture Authority, Abdullah Al Masaood, Chairman of the National Consultative Council (NCC), Ali Yousif Al Nowais, UAE Ambassador to Japan, Sheikhs, ministers, Executive Council members and senior officials.

Present from the Japanese side were Hiroshige Seko, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Taku Eto, Senior Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Hiromasa Yonekura, Chairman of Japan Business Federation and of Sumitomo Chemical, Hiroshi Okuda, Governor of Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Yoshihiko Kamo, Ambassador of Japan, and a number of officials.