Japan and the United Arab Emirates agreed Wednesday to enhance cooperation in energy development, including oil production and the construction of nuclear power plants in the Middle Eastern country.
During talks with Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi in Tokyo, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his desire to "further strengthen the comprehensive partnership" with the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi is the biggest of the seven emirates that make up the country.
The United Arad Emirates is the second-biggest exporter of oil to Japan after Saudi Arabia, and around 40 percent of the oil fields Japanese companies have developed abroad are located in waters off Abu Dhabi.