Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held talks on Tuesday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as part of a tour of the region that saw him visit the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
Abbas welcomed Abe at his presidential headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah before heading into a bilateral meeting without addressing the media.
Abe will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday, the Israeli foreign ministry said.
Representatives of Japan, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinians held a meeting on the Jordanian banks of the Dead Sea on Sunday night to discuss their "corridor for peace and prosperity" initiative.
Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono told reporters the initiative -- which aims to promote regional cooperation including through the creation of an agro-industrial park in the West Bank -- was making progress.
"Our efforts have finally started to bear fruits," Kono said.
He said the initiative is vital for economic development in the Palestinian territories and the Jordan valley.
Earlier, Abe met with Jordan's King Abdullah II with talks focusing on upgrading Tokyo's ties with the kingdom into a strategic partnership.
Abe told the monarch that "Jordan's stability is indispensable for regional stability," and that Japan will provide as much aid as possible to ensure the country's economic and social stability. The Japanese prime minister was accompanied by a delegation of business leaders.
He said he hoped to "dramatically develop our bilateral ties."
Abdullah told Abe that he hopes to develop trade ties between the two countries.
On Monday, the UAE and Japan pledged to comprehensively bolster their cooperation through the launching of the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Initiative.”
Abe had held talks in the UAE with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on strategic cooperation and ways to bolster it in various fields.
The two officials also signed an agreement to encourage and protect investment between their two countries.
