SAUDI AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN FAISAL BIN HASSAN TARRAD HAS HAILED THE GROWING BILATERAL TIES IN ALL SPHERES BETWEEN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA AND JAPAN. HE SAID THAT THESE RELATIONS HAVE DEVELOPED AT THE DIPLOMATIC AND ECONOMIC LEVELS THROUGHOUT THE LAST FIFTY YEARS, SAYING THAT JAPAN DEPENDS ON SAUDI ARABIA TO PROVIDE IT WITH ONE THIRD OF ITS OIL NEEDS ANNUALLY WHEREAS JAPAN IS THE EIGHTH COMMERCIAL PARTNER FOR SAUDI ARABIA. IN A STATEMENT TO SPA, TARRAD SAID THAT THE VISIT OF CROWN PRINCE SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ, DEPUTY PREMIER AND MINISTER OF DEFENSE AND AVIATION AND INSPECTOR GENERAL TO JAPAN, STARTING TOMORROW WILL BE HIS FIRST ONE AS THE CROWN PRINCE. PRINCE SULTAN'S LAST VISIT TO TOKYO WAS IN 1960. TARRAD SAID THAT CROWN PRINCE SULTAN WILL MEET JAPANESE EMPEROR AKIHITO AND JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER JUNICHIRO KOIZUMI. HE ADDED THAT JAPANESE ECONOMIC BODIES WILL HOST A LUNCHEON IN HONOR OF CROWN PRINCE SULTAN AND THE ACCOMPANYING DELEGATION. HE HIGHLIGHTED THE ROLES PLAYED BY SAUDI ARABIA AND JAPAN TO ENHANCE THE PILLARS OF PEACE AMONG CIVILIZATIONS. HE EXPRESSED OPTIMISM THAT THE VISIT WILL LAUNCH A NEW AND IMPORTANT ERA IN THE RELATIONS BASED ON MUTUAL RESPECT, AND WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE STABILITY, SECURITY AND PROSPERITY OF THE ENTIRE WORLD IN GENERAL AND OF THE TWO COUNTRIES' PEOPLES IN PARTICULAR.
