Japanese PM Abe welcomes Qatar transition

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sent a congratulatory message to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani upon his accession as the new Qatari Emir, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday. In his message to Sheikh Tamim on Wednesday, Abe expressed his congratulation on the accession on behalf of the government and people of Japan and expressed his admiration to his activities as the heir apparent in various fields such as foreign policy, education, and health, according to the ministry. The premier also said the Japanese government will make its best efforts to strengthen the bilateral relations with Doha. Qatar was Japan's second-largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplier after Australia in 2012, with Japan importing a total of 15.7 million tons of LNG from Qatar, up 32 percent from a year earlier.