Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shaikha Rana bint Isa Al Khalifa, met Japanese Parliamentary Deputy-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Manabu Horii in Tokyo, as part of her working visit to Japan on November 12-14.

The undersecretary conveyed the greetings of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Taro Kono. She expressed pride in the outstanding relations of friendship and cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Japan, and the exchange of high-level visits, especially the visits of the leaders of the two friendly countries. She also expressed her hope that the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs would visit Bahrain in December to participate in the Manama dialogue.

For his part, the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs expressed the aspiration of his country's government for further cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Japan to achieve the common interests of the two friendly countries and peoples.

The undersecretary also met with the Undersecretary of Gender Equality Bureau, Noriyuki Koda, where she stressed the importance placed by the Kingdom on the empowerment of Bahraini women at all levels. She also noted the Kingdom's achievements in this field, including the establishment of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Award for Empowering Women.

For his part, Noriyuki Koda praised the efforts of the Kingdom of Bahrain and its keenness to empower women in all fields, and noted Japan's strategy and efforts in the empowerment of Japanese women and gender equality.

Dr. Shaikha Rana also met the Director-General for the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau in the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hiroshi Oka, the Director of Human Resources Division in the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yutaka Arima, and the Director-General of the Foreign Service Training Institute in the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Naoko Saki. During the meetings, the two sides reviewed the strong bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Japan in various fields. They also stressed the importance of exchanging experiences between the two friendly countries, and discussed the latest regional and international developments.

The undersecretary also met the Chairman of the Bahrain-Bahrain Economic Cooperation Association, Koichi Kawana, affirming the importance of trade cooperation between the two friendly countries. She also met the President of the Japan-Bahrain Parliamentary Friendship Association, Yasuhisa Shiozak, expressing the aspiration of the Kingdom of Bahrain to further enhance cooperation with Japan to achieve the common interests of the two countries. For his part, the President of the Japan-Bahrain Parliamentary Friendship Association hailed the strong relations between the two countries.

Source: BNA