Tokyo, March 30 (IANS) Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday she would consider holding talks with the Iranian leadership at an ‘appropriate’ time if it serves Japan’s national interest as tensions in the Middle East remain high, local media reported.
“I will judge the appropriate timing for holding talks based on the national interest from a comprehensive standpoint,” Takaichi told a session of the House of Representatives Budget Committee, according to Kyodo News.
Stability in the Middle East is of critical importance to Japan, which relies on the region for over 90 per cent of its crude oil imports, Xinhua news agency reported.
Earlier on March 19, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi told President Donald Trump that she believed he alone could deliver peace in a world facing a severe security crisis, as the two leaders met at the White House against the backdrop of tensions in the Middle East and growing fears over the global economy. Takaichi made the remark during an Oval Office appearance, placing Japan firmly alongside Washington’s push for regional stability while also stressing the risks to energy supplies and navigation.
Trump also praised Takaichi for her leadership and electoral victory, saying she had “won a tremendous election in a record-setting fashion.” He added, “We have a very popular, powerful woman and she’s a great woman,” and said the two countries shared “a very fine relationship.”
Sanae Takaichi told US President Donald Trump at the White House that she believed “it is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world,” offering strong public backing as the two leaders discussed Iran, energy security, and turmoil in the Middle East.
She had said that right now, situations in the Middle East and also the entire world, we are actually experiencing a very severe security environment. And also, the global economy is now about to experience a huge hit because of these developments.
She observed that the current geopolitical climate—particularly in the Middle East—had created a precarious security environment.
–IANS
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