Japan eyes foreign ministers meeting with 6 Gulf nations in Sept.

Japan is preparing to hold a foreign ministers’ meeting with the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Saudi Arabia in early September, diplomatic sources said Sunday.

The move comes as Japan aims to strengthen relations with oil-producing countries in the Middle East to ensure a stable energy supply as China’s foothold grows in the region amid waning U.S. influence.

Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is expected to attend the meeting, with visits to Egypt and Jordan also under consideration, the sources said.

Japan relies on the six countries that make up the GCC -- Bahrain, Ku...