Tokyo/Information Office/03 October 2016/ HE Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani began a two-day official working visit to Japan, as part of an Asian tour that will include several countries. At the outset of the visit, His Excellency held today's bilateral talks with HE Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida on ways to strengthen and develop relations of friendship and cooperation and to exert efforts to realize the vision of leaderships in the two countries to build a comprehensive strategic partnership between them. The Qatari side welcomed Japan's decision to grant multiple entry visas (valid for three years) to holders of Qatari passports, starting from today, as a big step that contributes to the promotion of exchange and interaction between the peoples of the two countries. The two sides also welcomed the completion of all procedures in the two countries to enforce mutual exemption of visa arrangements for the holders of Qatari diplomatic and special passports to Japan and the holders of Japanese diplomatic and official passports to the State of Qatar soon. The Japanese side praised the role of Qatar as a major supplier of liquefied natural gas as well as its role as a regional actor in stability in the Middle East. Japan also expressed its desire to strengthen and develop bilateral relations in the political, security, economic and cultural fields. The two sides discussed a number of bilateral issues, including ways to strengthen political and security dialogue, enhance economic and investment ties and boost cooperation and coordination in the field of education. They also discussed the latest developments in the Middle East and in East Asia.