Japan to Hold Meeting with Gulf Nations

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)--Japan and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council are arranging minister-level strategic talks on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly's upcoming session starting next week in New York, Japanese officials said Wednesday. From Japan, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida is seen attending the talks, while GCC representatives would be ministers from Bahrain, which holds the council's presidency this year, and Kuwait, which is expected to take over the presidency in 2014. Ministers from four other GCC countries may join if their schedules allow, the officials added. The strategic talks will be held in line with an agreement between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Bahrain prime minister during Abe's Middle East tour in late August. The talks are set be held regularly. Japan hopes to enhance cooperation with the GCC members to ensure safe transportation on sea lanes because it heavily depends on imports of crude oil and liquefied natural gas from the Gulf region. Participants in the planned talks will also exchange views on a proposed resumption of negotiations on a Japan-GCC free trade agreement as well as on Syria and other regional issues. END