Saudi Arabia Guarantees Oil Supply to Japan

Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it remains committed to securing oil supplies for Japan and will continue cooperating with Tokyo on clean hydrogen, ammonia and recycled carbon fuels.
The kingdom will keep supplying Saudi crude oil for Okinawa's government oil reserves in southern Japan, a statement posted on the energy ministry's website quoted Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman as saying, Xm.com reported.
"We continue to guarantee oil supply to Japan and maintain our position as the most reliable partner," Prince Abdulaziz said. "Saudi is Japan's biggest oil exporter, fulfilling 40% of its total needs."
The energy minister's comments came after Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held meetings with Saudi leaders in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah, where he arrived on Sunday as part of a Middle East tour. Kishida will also visit the UAE and Qatar.
Japan and the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council also announced the resumption of talks on a free trade agreement, according to a statement issued on Sunday by the council, a union of six countries in the Persian Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.
Kishida and the (P)GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi signed a joint statement to resume negotiations, which will mark the third such attempt by Japan and (P)GCC to sign a trade pact.