The leaders of Japan and Bahrain have agreed to resume a strategic dialogue between resource-poor Japan and a regional grouping of oil-producing gulf countries, Japanese officials said.
The accord was reached between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, prime minister of Bahrain, on the first day of a trip by Abe to four Middle Eastern and African countries. Abe is the first prime minister from Japan to visit Bahrain.
"Japan hopes to strengthen and develop the friendly and cooperative relations with Bahrain," which is important to security of the Middle East and gulf region, Abe said at the outset of their meeting.