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On December 1, DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada held discussions with members of the Council of Arab Ambassadors to Japan. Eighteen members of the Council attended, including fifteen Ambassadors.
At the start of the meeting, Okada made a welcome address. He said, “It is 15 months since the DPJ administration was formed. I had been thinking of creating such opportunities as this one. I am looking forward to exchanging views with you. I regret the fact that I did not have the opportunity to visit any of the Arab nations while I was serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs. If I had only been able to serve as Minister for two more months I was scheduled to make such a visit then. Today, I would like to listen to your frank opinions regarding Japanese politics.”
The Chair of the Council of Arab Ambassadors, Representative of the Permanent General Mission of Palestine to Japan Ambassador Waleed Siam, expressed his appreciation to Okada for hosting the meeting. He expressed his expectations that the meeting would lead to a strengthening of the relations between Japan and Arab countries, saying, “We all appreciate the unique ties that bind Japan and the Arab world. We are willing to work closely with you and your esteemed party to further develop our bilateral relationships.
The meeting was also attended by Administration Committee Chair Makoto Taki, International Department Director-General Chinami Nishimura and Vice Director-General Harunobu Yonenaga for the DPJ.
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