Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida has paid a courtesy call on the visiting king of Saudi Arabia.
Kishida met King Salman bin Abdulaziz at the State Guest House in Tokyo Monday morning. The foreign minister told the king that he was highly honored to meet him.
The king, who arrived in Tokyo on Sunday for a 4-day visit, is the first Saudi monarch to visit Japan in 46 years.
He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Monday evening to discuss economic cooperation.
The 2 leaders are also expected to talk about dealing with the Islamic State militant group.
Saudi Arabia has been implementing economic reforms in an attempt to diversify its industrial base and reduce its dependence on oil exports.
The Middle-East country is one of the world’s biggest crude oil producers, but its economy is suffering from the recent decline in oil prices.
Saudi Arabia is Japan’s largest supplier of crude oil, accounting for about one-third of its imports.
Source and image: NHK
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