The Japanese Embassy in Riyadh issued a statement today welcoming the visit to Japan by Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, saying it would consolidate the close relations between the two friendly countries cemented by the agreement signed at the time of the visit to the Kingdom by then-Premier Ryutaro Hashimoto. The statement said the current visit provides another opportunity for the leaderships of the two countries to exchange ideas in the fields of politics, culture, education and youth in addition to a number of issues of mutual concern at bilateral, regional and international levels.

The embassy listed the state visits exchanged between officials of the two countries, most important of which were the visit to the Kingdom in 1994 by Japan's heir apparent Crown Prince Naruhito, and the visit to Tokyo earlier this year by Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of Riyadh Province. Commercial trade between the two countries amounted to U.S. $ 13.96 billion in 1997 while Japanese investments in the Kingdom are the second largest among foreign investments.
Describing Crown Prince Abdullah's visit to Japan as a historical event, consolidating ties between the two countries, Japanese ambassador to the Kingdom Tojero Takano confirmed that the Middle East peace process has special importance in the talks, since it influences international security and peace.

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