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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held talks with Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi on Wednesday in Tokyo, and they discussed energy cooperation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The UAE's supplies of oil to Japan are second only to those of Saudi Arabia, and the Japanese government is looking to enhance cooperation with oil and gas producers in the region, as imports have spiked in the wake of the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis, with thermal power plants making up for the shortfall in nuclear power.
Around 40 percent of oilfields developed by Japanese companies overseas are in waters off Abu Dhabi and, since their last meeting in May, at which security and renewable energy development were also discussed, Abe and the crown prince have since been exploring ways to further develop cooperation between the two sides.
The Japanese government said that the visiting crown prince's trip shows how bilateral ties in a number of fields have progressed and that the expansion of joint cooperation in the UAE would be of mutual benefit to both sides.
The crown prince, prior to talks with the prime minister, had an audience with Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace.
