HE Mr. NAGAOKA Kansuke, Assistant Minister and Director General of the Middle Eastern and African Bureau, who recently assumed his position, received HE Mr. Hassan bin Mohammed Rafei Al-Emadi, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Japan, to discuss bilateral relations and means of developing and strengthening them in various fields to serve common interests between the two countries.

His Excellency expressed the great importance that Japan attaches to relations with the State of Qatar, pointing to the great progress that has been achieved in the economic, political and cultural fields, and stressed that the new political leadership in his country is keen to strengthen friendship and cooperation and open up broader horizons to the strategic partnership between the two countries.

His Excellency NAGAOKA also expressed Japan's appreciation for the efforts of the State of Qatar in evacuating Japanese and Afghan nationals working at the Japanese Embassy and the office of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Kabul.

He also praised the first strategic dialogue between Japan and Qatar that was held in Doha last August, as well as the preparations underway to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, next year. He added that these developments lay the solid foundations for building a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two friendly countries.

The meeting also discussed a number of issues of common interest at the bilateral, regional and international levels and was attended by Mr. Nasser bin Yousef Al Kaabi, the third secretary at the embassy.