By Syeda Amtul
JEDDAH — The Consulate General of Japan hosted a reception to celebrate the 83rd birthday of Emperor Akihito, which is marked as the country›s National Day.
The reception, at the residence of the consul general of Japan, was attended by Jamal Bakr Balkheour, deputy director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Makkah Region Branch and director general of protocol department, princes and princesses, diplomats, Saudi businessmen and media figures, in addition to members of the Japanese community.
After the national anthems of the two countries, Koji Naito, acting consul general of Japan, welcomed the guests. He stressed the excellent relationships between Japan and the Kingdom in various aspects of cooperation.
The state visit of Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman to Japan at the end of August opened the door for greater cooperation between the two countries in a large number of areas,” he said.
«Shinzo Abe, Japanese prime minister, assured Prince Muhammad that Japan will cooperate with Saudi Arabia for the realization of Vision 2030 through cooperation in the fields of investment mainly in the manufacturing sector, promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises, human resources development, and promotion of culture, entertainment and sports,” Naito said.
Japan and Saudi Arabia launched a ministerial-level “Japan-Saudi Joint Group for Vision 2030” and the group held its first meeting in Riyadh in October.
Naito expressed his hope that mutual relations will be developed to meet the expectations of the leaders of the two friendly countries.
Later Ambassador Balkheour and Naito along with other diplomats cut the celebratory cake.
Some Japanese companies had opened booths at the venue to introduce their products and services.
