Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in New York next month as Tokyo continues to seek a leading role in attempts to defuse rising tension in the Middle East.
Japan’s foreign ministry says the meeting was arranged yesterday during Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s visit to Tokyo, and would take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Japan has long been a major importer of Iranian oil and was one of eight countries given a waiver by Washington on buying directly from Tehran.
Sanctions were imposed after the US President Donald Trump abandoned the Iranian nuclear agreement struck by his predecessor Barack Obama.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (L) greets Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif (R) during their bilateral meeting in Yokohama on August 28, 2019. (Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP)
Other signatories — including major European nations — disagreed with Trump’s action.
“I have received clear words from Supreme Leader Khamenei that he does not wish to build, possess and to use nuclear weapons,” Abe told Zarif during Tuesday’s meeting
“Japan wishes to continue diplomatic efforts toward stabilising the situation,” Abe said.
— AFP
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