Japan’s Abe to Visit

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he will pay a visit to Tehran in “due course”. Abe made the statement in a Tuesday meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in New York on the sidelines to the UN General Assembly’s gathering of world leaders, the General Debate. His trip to Iran would be the first by a Japanese premier in nearly 40 years. Abe said his government is keen on forging closer collaboration with Tehran and supports Japanese firms investing in Iran, President.ir reported. Rouhani said the ground is prepared for greater Tehran-Tokyo cooperation in a wide range of fields, particularly oil, gas, petrochemicals and port construction. The president said the two countries should work harder to facilitate bilateral banking ties, as it will pave the way for closer economic ties. Following the 2015 landmark nuclear deal involving Iran and world powers, Japan has looked to significantly bolster its relations with Iran, a major supplier of oil to Tokyo. The two countries concluded a key bilateral investment treaty in 2016, which will allow Japanese companies to regain a foothold in the Iranian market, particularly in car and electrical devices sectors.