Japan's Prime Minister, Kishida Fumio, and the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha, have agreed to strengthen relations between the two organizations following a meeting in Jeddah.
Taha paid a courtesy call on Kishida following the Japanese leader's meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and praised Japan for its role in the international community.
Kishida thanked the OIC for its efforts in development and prosperity in the Islamic world, as well as its efforts to combat violent extremism.
The two leaders agreed to increase cooperation on a range of issues, including poverty control, development, education, the status of women,
Afghanistan, and violent extremism.
They also agreed to work towards strengthening "long-standing friendly relations" between Islamic countries through various links.
In addition, Kishida presented works by Honda Koichi, one of Japan's leading Arabic calligraphers, to Taha as a gesture of goodwill.
The meeting is seen as an important step in strengthening ties between Japan and the OIC, and comes amid growing interest in strengthening economic and cultural ties between Japan and the Arab world.