Despite the latest outbreak of sectarian violence in the Middle East following the execution by Saudi Arabia of senior Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, experts on the region see minimal economic impact on Japan and believe Tokyo can play a mediator role.
Al-Nimr's killing has sparked Shiite protests in the Middle East and across the globe, with the Saudi Embassy in Tehran being attacked and burned, as tensions surge between Sunnis and Shiites in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Bahrain and Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday following a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said both the U.S. and Japan have expressed concerns over the impact of deteriorating relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran on stability in the Middle East. Both called for a peaceful solution through restraint and dialogue.
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