Japanese foreign minister due in Jordan Monday

AMMAN — Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono is scheduled to visit Jordan on Monday and hold talks with Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on means to expand Jordanian-Japanese ties and the Syrian refugee influx into the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Saturday. 

A Japanese foreign ministry statement said that the visit to Jordan is part of a regional tour that also includes Israel, Palestine, Oman and Turkey between Sunday and Friday.

Kono has visited the Middle East twice since taking office, and expressed the basic policy of Japan’s diplomacy regarding the Middle East as the Kono Four Principles in the First Japan-Arab Political Dialogue and Japan’s action to assist stabilisation and security in the Middle East, based on the principles in the Manama Dialogue, according to the Japanese foreign ministry.

On his third visit, Kono will further implement policies announced previously within the context of support for Middle East peace, promote the initiatives of Japan towards stabilisation of the Middle East region and further strengthen multilayered cooperative relationships with the visited countries and regions.

Japan has announced its rejection of US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocate Washington’s embassy to the holy city.