Japan preparing for summit talks with Iran: PM
Tokyo: The Japanese government is arranging summit talks with Iran, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday, local media reported.
“We are preparing dialogues at the leadership level at an appropriate time,” Takaichi told a parliamentary committee in response to a question from an opposition lawmaker about Japan’s diplomatic efforts amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict, according to Kyodo News.
Earlier on March 30, Prime Minister Takaichi said that she would consider holding talks with the Iranian leadership at an ‘appropriate’ time if it serves Japan’s national interest, as tensions in West Asia remain high, local media reported.
“I will judge the appropriate timing for holding talks based on the national interest from a comprehensive standpoint,” Takaichi told a session of the House of Representatives Budget Committee, according to Kyodo News.
Stability in West Asia is of critical importance to Japan, which relies on the region for over 90 per cent of its crude oil imports, Xinhua news agency reported.
Earlier on March 19, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi told President Donald Trump that she believed he alone could deliver peace in a world facing a severe security crisis, as the two leaders met at the White House against the backdrop of tensions in West Asia and growing fears over the global economy.
Takaichi made the remark during an Oval Office appearance, placing Japan firmly alongside Washington’s push for regional stability while also stressing the risks to energy supplies and navigation.
Trump also praised Takaichi for her leadership and electoral victory, saying she had “won a tremendous election in a record-setting fashion.” He added, “We have a very popular, powerful woman and she’s a great woman,” and said the two countries shared “a very fine relationship.”
Sanae Takaichi told US President Donald Trump at the White House that she believed “it is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world,” offering strong public backing as the two leaders discussed Iran, energy security, and turmoil in West Asia.