Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Wednesday asked Israel to make concrete efforts toward easing of tensions in the Middle East.
In separate meetings with new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in Jerusalem, Motegi asked for the Middle Eastern nation's actions to foster trust with "all parties concerned" in reference to its relations with the Palestinians, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
The Japanese minister explained Tokyo's support for a two-state solution that establishes an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, it said.
Bennett said in response his country will work with the international community, including Japan, toward increasing stability in the region, according to the Japanese ministry.
Motegi's visit to Israel came after the country saw its first change of power in 12 years in June, with Bennett assuming his post following the resignation of Benjamin Netanyahu.
The two sides also discussed a free and open Indo-Pacific initiative led by Japan and the United States, which Motegi told the Israeli leaders will serve the Middle East through developments such as improvements in infrastructure.
Among other topics, Motegi requested Israel's cooperation in supporting an immediate resolution of the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s.
The meetings followed Motegi's visit to Ramallah in the West Bank, where he pledged Palestinian leaders additional humanitarian assistance for the Gaza Strip following Israeli airstrikes on the enclave during an escalation in violence earlier in the year.
Motegi is on a tour to Middle Eastern nations through next Tuesday. He has visited Egypt and will head to Jordan, Turkey, Iran and Qatar after Israel.
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