His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, has led the UAE delegation attending the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. The event was also attended by political leaders and heads of state from around the world.
His Highness offered condolences from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE.
His Highness also met Akie Abe, the former Prime Minister’s widow, and members of their family, to extend sincere sympathies on the loss of a leader who served his country and his people with unfaltering dedication.
The funeral is the largest official memorial for a government official to have taken place in Japan since the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida in 1967. Abe was Japan’s longest serving prime minister, having held office for eight years from 2012 to 2020. He died at the age of 67, after being shot during a political campaign event on 8 July.
Shinzo Abe contributed significantly to enhancing bilateral relations between the UAE and Japan. This included the signing of a large-scale strategic partnership agreement during his visit to the UAE in 2018 to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries and advance strategic partnerships across various fields.
His Highness was accompanied by His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Special Envoy to Japan, His Excellency Shehab Ahmed Al Fahim, UAE Ambassador to Japan, and a number of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.