‘Japan PM due in Jordan next week’

AMMAN — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is due in Amman early next week as part of a regional tour scheduled to take place between January 16 and 21, the Japanese embassy said on Tuesday.

In a statement sent to The Jordan Times, the embassy said the tour will also take the premier to Egypt, Israel and Palestine.

In Jordan, Abe will reaffirm the Japanese government’s strong support for the Kingdom since it has been affected by the unstable regional situation, including the influx of refugees, and it has been at the front line of countermeasures against the Islamic State group, also known as ISIL, according to the statement.

A source at the Japanese embassy in Amman told The Jordan Times that the Japanese leader will arrive in Amman on Saturday and leave on Sunday.

During the visit, he is scheduled to meet with top Jordanian officials, including Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour.

“The government of Japan anticipates that the economic relationships between Japan and these countries will be strengthened through this official visit,” the statement said, adding that Abe will be accompanied by a delegation which includes Japanese business figures.

In previous remarks to the media, Japanese Ambassador in Amman Shuichi Sakurai said Jordan has been playing a very important role, not only in the region, but also within the international community, to achieve regional security and stability, and has been an “invaluable” partner of Japan.

The envoy noted that last year marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Jordanian-Japanese diplomatic ties and “I am confident that our future relations will flourish more, and Japan looks forward to working with Jordan further for world peace and prosperity”.

His Majesty King Abdullah has visited Japan 11 times so far, with the last visit in November 2014.

During that visit, Japan approved a grant to Jordan totalling approximately 2.4 billion yen (around $20 million) in assistance, pledging constant support as the Kingdom faces multiple challenges.

The two countries signed an agreement under which Japan will provide Jordan with aid for the rehabilitation and expansion of water networks in Balqa Governorate (2.238 billion yen), and a grant for the provision of Japanese small- and medium-sized enterprise products (200 million yen) in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency.