Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed leads UAE delegation to Japan

Nations launch comprehensive partnership and reflect on 50 of trade and friendship

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, meets Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Show more

A UAE delegation has met Japanese leaders in Tokyo to cement economic deals and reflect on more than 50 years of trade and friendship.

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The two sides witnessed the launch of the comprehensive partnership between the Emirates and Japan, which was agreed to in 2018 when Shinzo Abe, prime minister at the time, visited Abu Dhabi.

Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and the UAE's special envoy to Japan, and Shehab Al Fahim, the UAE's ambassador to Japan, were present.

The visit allowed both sides to reflect on economic ties and friendship over the past 50 years, state news agency Wam reported.

The UAE has been one of Japan's main suppliers of oil for the past half century, today providing 20 per cent of its oil needs.

The 2018 agreement covered co-operation on a diverse range of areas from developing both economies, energy, trade and industry to climate change, education and defence.

The UAE is also Japan's tenth largest trading partner globally, according to 2021 statistics. The value of Japanese investments in the Emirates has exceeded $14 billion.

Japan was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the UAE in 1971.

This culminated in the opening of the UAE embassy in Tokyo in December 1973 and the Japanese embassy in Abu Dhabi in April 1974, Wam reported.