Abe starts Middle East tour

April 29, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe left Tokyo on Sunday to start a Middle East tour that will take him to the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Israel and Palestine.

Abe hopes to discuss measures to ensure stable energy supply and support refugees. The prime minister will also call for progress in peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine.

He will be the first leader of a major country to visit both Israel and Palestine since U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel late last year, according to Japanese Foreign Ministry officials.

"I hope to help Israel and Palestine develop relations of trust," Abe told reporters before the departure. "Japan wants to contribute to efforts toward Middle East peace."

"We need to strengthen our multilayer relations with the Middle East, including in the areas of energy, economy and security," he also said.

In the UAE, the first destination, Abe hopes to confirm the need to strengthen bilateral cooperation in many fields including renewable energy, agriculture and defense, after the recent renewal of concessions for oil fields off Abu Dhabi.

The two sides are set to exchange notes on a bilateral investment pact.

Abe will move on to Palestine on Wednesday to visit an agricultural product-processing complex in the West Bank city of Jericho, a key project under Japan's Corridor for Peace and Prosperity economic development initiative.

Abe is expected to renew his country's commitment to supporting the economic independence of Palestine and making more efforts for Middle East peace.

In summits with Middle East leaders, Abe will call for keeping pressure on North Korea until the country takes concrete actions toward the abandonment of its missiles and weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons.

He is also expected to discuss measures to fight terrorism and extremism ahead of big events such as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Jiji Press