Ashraf AboArafe
Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, met today, Wednesday, the 10th of this month, with Mr. Yoshimas Hayashi, Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers/Acting Prime Minister of Japan, during his first official visit to Japan.
Gamal Rushdi, the official spokesman for the Secretary-General, stated that during the meeting, Aboul Gheit praised the depth of the historical relations between Japan and the Arab world, stressing the keenness of the Arab League and its member states to advance various areas of Arab-Japanese cooperation, noting in this regard the strength of the economic and commercial ties between the two sides. He stated The spokesman said that the meeting discussed regional and international issues of common interest that seek to strengthen cooperation relations between the Arab and Japanese sides.
The spokesman also referred to the discussions held between Aboul Gheit and Ms. Yoko Kamikawa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, where the Secretary-General expressed his thanks and appreciation for the efforts made by the Japanese side to make the fifth session of the Arab-Japanese Economic Forum (established in 2009) successful, hosted by the Japanese capital, Tokyo, noting The importance of continuing to hold events related to Arab-Japanese cooperation mechanisms in various fields on a regular and regular basis, which contributes to strengthening the process of Arab-Japanese cooperation.
The spokesman added that the Foreign Minister stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation relations between the two sides, in light of the memorandum of Arab-Japanese cooperation in the political field that was concluded in 2013. In this regard, the Minister pointed out the importance of holding the fourth session of the ministerial meeting for the Arab-Japanese political dialogue in 2025 in a place Agreed upon by both sides.
The spokesman added that the meeting witnessed an exchange of views on the most prominent issues of common concern in the Middle East region, especially the deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip, warning of the expansion of the war and its transformation into a regional confrontation, with serious repercussions on the stability of the Middle East and global security, as Aboul Gheit urged. The Japanese side agrees to recognize the State of Palestine because of its great influence in encouraging other countries to recognize the State of Palestine and contribute to improving the deteriorating situation there.
The Secretary-General also thanked the Japanese side for the efforts and appreciated assistance to the Palestinian people through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), noting in this regard the great importance that rests with UNRWA in trying to alleviate the suffering that the Palestinians are going through. inside the Gaza Strip.
The spokesman also stated that Aboul Gheit also met with Ms. Onoda Kimi, Chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Shura Council of the Japanese Parliament, noting that the two sides had discussed a number of issues of common interest, noting in this context the volume of trade exchange between Arab countries and Japan, which reached about 140 billion dollars since the beginning of 2024. Aboul Gheit also provided a comprehensive explanation of the situation in the region, and listened to the Japanese side’s vision on the importance of digital transformation and its great impact on the development process.
