On February 3, 2025, Japan Foreign Affairs Minister Mr. Iwaya Takeshi and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah co-chaired the Second Foreign Ministerial Strategic Dialogue in Tokyo.
During the opening remarks at the meeting, both the Foreign Ministers noted that the year 2025 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Saudi Arabia. Foreign Minister Iwaya stated that the countries would like to further their strategic partnership and work more closely together for the peace and stability of the Middle East region and the international community. On the other, Foreign Minister Faisal emphasized that the 70 years of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom and Japan reflect the enduring partnership and shared values between the two nations. He expressed optimism about further strengthening bilateral ties and underscored the importance of the strategic dialogue in achieving tangible results for both the countries.
The 2nd Strategic Dialogue between the countries resulted in the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), which included; MoU for Establishing Strategic Partnership Council and MoU on the Mutual Exemption of Short Stay Visa Requirements for Holders of Diplomatic, Special/ Official Passports.
Foreign Minister Iwaya expressed his gratitude for the long-standing and stable supply of crude oil, his continued expectations for the role of Saudi Arabia in leading the stabilization of the global crude oil market, and welcomed the progress in cooperation on clean energy, which is being carried out using Japanese technology, under the Lighthouse Initiative agreed to, by the leaders of both countries in July 2023. Foreign Minister Faisal stated he would commit to a stable supply of crude oil to Japan, and expressed his hope that the cooperation between two the countries would further progress in the fields of clean energy and critical minerals among others.
The Ministers also held discussions on the situation in the Middle East, Red Sea, as well as the Asia and the Pacific. They affirmed to continue strengthen their cooperation, utilising regional and international frameworks such as the GCC, and further strengthen collaboration in the domains of tourism, culture, sports, entertainment etc. The meeting reaffirmed the deep-rooted Japan- Saudi Arabia relations and the need for continued cooperation across diverse sectors.
