JAPAN'S EMPEROR AKIHITO RECEIVED HERE TODAY CROWN PRINCE SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ, THE DEPUTY PREMIER, MINISTER OF DEFENSE AND AVIATION MINISTER AND INSPECTOR GENERAL. THE EMPEROR AND THE CROWN PRINCE HELD A MEETING ATTENDED BY THE DELEGATIONS OF THE TWO COUNTRIES. AT THE OUTSET OF THE MEETING, THE JAPANESE EMPEROR WELCOMED CROWN PRINCE SULTAN, WISHING THE CROWN PRINCE AND HIS ACCOMPANYING DELEGATION A GOOD STAY IN JAPAN. ADDRESSING THE CROWN PRINCE, THE EMPEROR SAID, ''YOU HAVE HAD A REMARKABLE STAND ON SUPPORTING BILATERAL RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO FRIENDLY COUNTRIES AND YOUR CURRENT VISIT EMPHASIZES DEEP RELATIONS AND WILL FURTHER ENHANCE AND DEVELOP THESE RELATIONS.'' ON HIS PART, CROWN PRINCE SULTAN EXPRESSED HIS THANKS TO AND APPRECIATION OF THE JAPANESE EMPEROR FOR A WARM WELCOME AND GENEROUS HOSPITALITY. THE CROWN PRINCE ALSO CONVEYED TO THE EMPEROR THE GREETINGS OF THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ AND HIS INTEREST IN ENHANCING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. ''WE ARE PROUD OF FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION WITH JAPAN WHICH PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE REGION AND THE WORLD. WE ARE KEEN ON DEEPENING COOPERATION WITH JAPAN AND ON REACHING A JOINT PERSPECTIVE ON THE ISSUES OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES OF MUTUAL INTEREST,'' CROWN PRINCE SULTAN SAID. --MORE 15 45 LOCAL TIME 12 45 GMT
