Japan’s Motegi to Visit Saudi Arabia, Oman Next Week

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will visit Saudi Arabia and Oman from Monday through Aug. 22 for talks with local officials on normal maritime navigation and infrastructure reconstruction in the Middle East, the Foreign Ministry said Friday. The trip to the region will be the first by a Japanese foreign minister since the start of the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran in February. During his visit, Motegi is scheduled to meet with his Saudi and Omani counterparts, as well as Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, based in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh. Motegi and the Middle East officials are set to discuss ways to ensure normal navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. On the Strait of Hormuz, he plans to urge Oman to help restore normal shipping operations without the imposition of additional costs, such as transit fees. Through the meetings, Motegi also aims to assess the support needed for the reconstruction of Persian Gulf countries after their infrastructure was damaged in Iran’s attacks. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]