S. Korean, Japanese diplomats hold Middle East policy consultation

Seoul, Nov 18 (IANS) In an effort to deepen cooperation in their diplomacy toward the region crucial for energy supplies, economic exchanges and security, diplomats of South Korea and Japan held regular talks on Middle East policies in Tokyo on Wednesday, South Korean Foreign Ministry said.Kok Kyung-sok, the ministry's director general for African and Middle Eastern affairs, and his Japanese counterpart, Katsuhiko Takahashi, led the eighth consultative meeting, a working-level dialogue platform launched in 2014, Yonhap news agency reported.Seoul and Tokyo have held the policy talks to share information on security and other issues in the Middle East to better protect their citizens living in the region, ensure the stable supply of energy and promote their national interests.On Thursday, Koh plans to meet Mikio Mori, the director general of the African Affairs Department in the Japanese foreign ministry, to discuss bilateral cooperation.Koh's trip came as Seoul is reinforcing diplomacy toward Tokyo to restore bilateral ties strained over wartime history and trade, ahead of the inauguration of the Biden administration in Washington, which is expected to tighten its regional alliance network to handle global challenges.
--IANS int/