Staff Writer

Japan is keen to work closely with Saudi Arabia as part of the Kingdom’s forthcoming G20 presidency, said a spokesperson in a press conference Saturday in Nagoya, Japan.

Saudi Arabia will be taking over the G20 presidency starting December, as Japan continues to host summits and conferences for this month, according to a statement by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Addressing a press conference, a spokesperson from the Japanese foreign ministry said that Japan is “very keen to work closely with Saudi Arabia as part of G20.”

Saudi Arabia is the first Arab Muslim country to host future summits, making it a region that is of “unique nature,” said the representative.

“We wish to work closely with other G20 countries and to make the process successful under the Saudi Arabian presidency,” he added.

G20 members as well as nine invited countries gathered in the Japanese city of Nagoya and discussed various issues, while Japan formally handed over the presidency to the Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia is expected to follow the same practice in arranging next year’s meetings and the summit.