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Japanese foreign minister in Saudi Arabia for talks on oil
Jan 7, 2012, 11:18 GMT
Riyadh - Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba arrived in the Saudi capital of Riyadh Saturday for talks on securing his country's oil needs in light of an Iranian threat to close shipping through the vital Strait of Hormuz, said sources in the Japanese embassy.
Gemba was to meet Saturday with Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Abdel Aziz bin Abdullah, reported the state Saudi Press Agency SPA.
On Sunday, he will hold separate talks with Saudi Defence Minister Salman bin Abdel Aziz and Oil Minister Ali al-Neimi, added the agency.
Gemba's talks will also cover Syria, Iraq and Yemen, reported SPA.
He arrived in Riyadh late Friday as part of a regional tour that will also take him to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. Saudi ambassador to Japan Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Sattar told SPA that Saudi oil accounted for more than 30 per cent of Japan's oil imports.
Saudi Arabia is the world's biggest oil producer.
Last week, Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which some 35 per cent of the world's seaborne oil passes, if the West imposed new sanctions over its disputed nuclear programme.
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