[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the Arab Japan Day Reception held in Tokyo.

The Prime Minister said in his address,

“Assalam alaikum.
I am highly honored to have been invited to the Arab Japan Day Reception once again this year. When I entered this room, I was enveloped by the delicious smells of Arabian cuisine. I felt as though I have come to Dubai, Cairo, or Doha.

I am delighted that, through my frequent meetings with the leaders of various Arab countries, the Japan-Arab relationship has deepened significantly in recent years.
We welcomed to Japan H.H. Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of Kuwait, in May of last year, His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, King of Jordan, in October, followed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, last month.

I also had meetings with H.E. Mr. Ismaël Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti, on the margins of TICAD VI, with H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Emir of Qatar, on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly session, and with H.E. Mr. Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, President of Egypt, on the margins of the G20 Summit, and held very significant exchanges of views with each of these leaders.
Japan shares many things with Arab countries, including the spirit of believing that ‘the best way is in the middle.’ Respect for traditions and esteem for moderation lie at the roots of both our cultures. We have a close and deep relationship that overcomes the geographical distance between us and that is brimming with potential.

I hope that in the future the relationship between Japan and Arab countries will grow even deeper. I believe that this is my fifth attendance at the Arab Japan Day Reception. This is of course a new record for a Prime Minister of Japan. I would truly like to attend a sixth time.

I would like to conclude my remarks by expressing my hope that the many people in attendance at this reception will enjoy exchanges and shorten the distance between Japan and Arab countries even further. Thank you very much.”