Japan PM Aiming to do everything possible to ease Middle East tension


Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday he plans to do everything he can to ease tension in the Middle East and wants to talk with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly session that starts in September.

“Peace and stability in the Middle East directly links to Japan’s national interest,” Abe told a news conference at the end of a three-day international conference on African development.

“I would like to work tenaciously, and play the best possible role to ease tensions in the Middle East.”