Khaldon Azhari 

TOKYO: Japanese and Saudi foreign ministers agreed Wednesday to continue to work together in efforts to maintain COVID-19 measures.

The measures include the protection of their respective citizens residing in each other’s countries.

A statement by the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo said that Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and his counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have discussed measures to tackle the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19.

Motegi expressed his appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s efforts to lead the international community by hosting the G20 Extraordinary Virtual Summit as the G20 Presidency.

He also expressed his gratitude for the Government of Saudi Arabia’s cooperation in helping Japanese nationals in Saudi Arabia return to Japan.

Motegi said that Saudi Arabia’s reforms towards overcoming dependency on oil and industrial diversification are becoming increasingly important amid the decline in crude oil prices and the COVID-19 outbreak. He added that Japan’s stance of supporting those reforms through the public and private sectors remains unchanged.

The two ministers confirmed their intention to further strengthen bilateral relations through the framework of “Saudi Japan Vision 2030” and cooperation for the success of the G20 Riyadh Summit.

They also exchanged views on the Middle East situation and confirmed that they will continue to coordinate with each other, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said.