Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, agreed Wednesday on the importance of ensuring free and safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz without additional costs. In their strategic dialogue in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, the ministers discussed the tensions in the Middle East, including attacks on Saudi Arabia by the Houthi pro-Iranian militant group in Yemen. Motegi strongly condemned the series of Houthi attacks.
Saudi Arabia is Japan’s main crude oil supplier. Motegi explained Japan’s Partnership on Wide Energy and Resources Resilience Asia (POWERR Asia) framework, which is designed to support the strengthening of oil reserves in the Asian region, and sought cooperation to ensure a stable energy supply. The Saudi Arabian minister welcomed the framework and expressed his willingness to work toward ensuring oil supplies to international markets.
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