agency saidbloombergThe visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Japan, which was scheduled for the end of the week, was canceled without giving reasons.
The agency added that Mohammed bin Salman was scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the visit, which was to last from Saturday to Monday, according to what was reported by the “TBS” TV channel.
Bloomberg indicated that it was not immediately clear why the visit, which was Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s first to Japan in nearly three years, was canceled.
The news of the cancellation of the Saudi Crown Prince’s visit to Japan was not confirmed by official sources in the Kingdom.
Earlier, the Japan External Trade Organization said that a business forum for the Japanese and Saudi governments and business leaders that was scheduled to be held in Tokyo next Monday was canceled after the Saudi delegation canceled its visit, according to the report. to Archyde.com.
An official in the organization, which was responsible for organizing the event, stated that Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih was among the delegation that was scheduled to participate in the forum, without giving further details.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters, “Japan’s relations with Saudi Arabia are very important as it is an important strategic partner. It is important to carry out high-level visits between Japan and Saudi Arabia in the near future.”
Japan is one of the most important economic partners of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as the total trade exchange between the two countries reached about $34 billion last year. The Kingdom is the largest supplier of crude oil to Japan, with one million barrels per day.
Tensions have escalated between the United States and Saudi Arabia since OPEC + decided to cut production last October, but most other major importers, including Japan, have not publicly criticized Riyadh.
The Saudi government said last month that doctors had asked Prince Mohammed bin Salman to avoid “long and frequent air travel” due to an ear health problem.
Mohammed bin Salman did not attend the Arab League summit in Algeria and did not travel to India in early November, as reported by some Indian media.
However, he did travel to Indonesia this week for the G-20 summit, before heading to South Korea on Thursday and meeting President Yun Seok Yul and local business officials.
And official media reported that Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Thailand on an official visit, in conjunction with the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in the Thai capital, Bangkok, on Friday.