Japan PM Kishida: discussed possible oil output increase with Saudi Arabia

Politics

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida holds a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, March 16, 2022. Stanislav Kogiku/Pool via REUTERS
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida holds a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, March 16, 2022. Stanislav Kogiku/Pool via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday he discussed a possible increase in crude oil output with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Kishida told reporters after his telephone call with the Crown Prince that he also delivered his high expectations for Saudi Arabia's leadership to stabilise the crude oil market, and agreed to cooperate on the Ukraine crisis.

Asked by a reporter if he directly requested the Saudi leader to ramp up oil production, Kishida averted an answer, saying the two countries agreed to continue ministerial talks on the matter.

"We agreed to deepen our cooperation towards the era of carbon neutrality," he added.

Kishida also told the media that he separately spoke with Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta and confirmed the need to work on reforms of the United Nations Security Council.

(Reporting by Ju-min Park, Kantaro Komiya; editing by Jason Neely)

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