Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japanese Foreign Minister IWAYA Takeshi held a telephone meeting with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi on Thursday to discuss the situation in the Middle East and request cooperation for the protection of Japanese nationals.

Iwaya stated that Japan is paying close attention to what is happening in the Middle East and expressed concern about the deteriorating situation – including the recent attack by Iran against Israel – and the possibility that there could be a full-fledged war in the Middle East.

The Japanese Foreign Minister expressed “serious concern” over the ground operation by the Israeli Defense Forces in Lebanon and stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

After congratulating Iwaya on his appointment as Foreign Minister, Safadi stated that the situation in the region is extremely tense. He mentioned that cooperating with Japan was important and shared Iwaya’s view about the current situation.

Safadi gave his view of the latest local situation and explained what Jordan is doing on the diplomatic front. He also stated that Jordan will cooperate fully to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals in case of emergency.

The two ministers agreed on the importance of restraint from all parties and the need to avoid tit-for-tat attacks.