| Bahrain Calls For Japan To Promote Wide-ranging Exchanges |
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MANAMA, May 24 (Bernama) -- A senior Bahraini parliamentary member on Wednesday called on Japan to promote more wide-ranging exchanges with Bahrain, even though it has fewer resources than other countries in the Middle East region, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.
Khalifa Al-Dhahrani, the speaker of the Council of Representatives, said Japan has been too focused on financial matters in building relations with other countries.
Referring to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent trip to the Middle East which did not include a visit to Bahrain, he said; "Is the relationship only confined to trade and commercial exchanges?...Why doesn't Japan also think of focusing on cultural issues that tie not only officials but ordinary people."
Speaking during an interview with the Japanese media, the speaker also expressed hope that Japan would provide technical education to Bahraini citizens by such means as scholarships and promote exchanges in the healthcare sector.
"Go and study in Japan, and when these graduates come back from Japan they will not only bring with them their education, but also the heritage and the culture of Japan...This is what it is all about," he said.
"Japan should contribute in certain aspects...although Bahrain is considered to be the poorest country in the GCC in terms of petrol," he added, referring to the acronym of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which also includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.
While stressing that Japan and Bahrain maintain good relations, he said he had wished Abe to also visit his country and still hopes for a visit in the future.
Abe recently visited Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt in what was his first trip to the oil-rich Middle East since assuming office in September.
The trip was aimed at securing stable energy supplies from the region which Japan relies on heavily for its oil imports, but Japan also hopes to go beyond its economic interests with these countries to build a "multi-layered" relationship in which it will provide cooperation on global issues of mutual concern, such as the Middle East peace process.
-- BERNAMA
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