Japan´s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in New York next month as Tokyo continues to play an active role in talks to defuse tensions in the Middle East.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the meeting was arranged during Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif´s visit to Tokyo on Tuesday. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Japan is a major importer of Iranian oil, and was one of the eight countries Washington granted exemptions to buy oil directly from Tehran.
Sanctions were imposed after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal reached under his predecessor Barack Obama.
Other signatories, including major European powers, are not in favor of Trump´s move.
"I have received clear words from Supreme Leader (Ali) Khamenei that he does not want to manufacture, possess and use nuclear weapons," Jawad Zarif Abe said on Tuesday.
"Japan wants to continue diplomatic efforts to stabilize the situation," Abe said.
Abe visited Iran in June and met with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Rouhani in an effort to ease tensions between Tehran and Washington.
Zarif paid a brief visit to Peretz during the G7 summit as part of efforts to ease tensions between Iran and the United States.
US President Donald Trump did not meet Jawad Zarif, but was open to a spiritual meeting in the near future.
Rouhani said a meeting could only take place if the United States first lifted sanctions.
