Japan Not Doing Shuttle Diplomacy between Iran, US

While Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe has paid a landmark visit to Iran and held a meeting with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Thursday, the press secretary of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefed reporters on the purposes and results of the trip.

Speaking to journalists in Tehran on Thursday, Takeshi Osuga said Prime Minister Abe’s meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei was held in a warm atmosphere and lasted for 50 minutes.

The Japanese premier has made it clear that nobody wants a military confrontation, and has voiced concern about the current tensions, he added.

Abe positively evaluates that Iran continues its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and expects that Tehran will continue to implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Osuga added.

According to the press secretary, Prime Minister Abe has told the Japanese reporters that he has heard from US President Donald Trump in a recent meeting that Washington does not want to see an escalation.

Abe has told the Japanese reporters on Thursday that he has had several exchanges of view with Trump and that he has told Ayatollah Khamenei about his “own views” on the intentions of Trump, Osuga added.

The Japanese prime minister has also noted that the road to lowering tensions is fraught with difficulties, but he will continue to make efforts, the press secretary stated.

Shinzo Abe said that although there might be complex national sentiments in all sides, it is important for top leaders of the countries to share the intention to ease the tensions, Osuga added.

“We are not doing shuttle diplomacy or mediation, but we are making efforts for the stability of region. Iran and Japan have many bilateral issues on their agenda,” the Japanese diplomat concluded.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, the prime minister of Japan held a meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei in Tehran on Thursday morning.

Abe arrived in Tehran on Wednesday and became the first Japanese leader to visit Iran in more than 4 decades.

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