TOKYO: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday that Saudi Arabia may consider an increase in oil production in response to global demand, according to a statement from Japan’s Foreign Ministry.

The two leaders met in India on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

During the meeting, Kishida said he hopes Saudi Arabia would continue to play a leading role in stabilizing the international crude oil market.

He added that Japan and Saudi Arabia were seeking to further strengthen ties, including on the clean energy “Lighthouse Initiative.” To support this initiative, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi recently visited the Kingdom.

The crown prince said he was pleased with the outcome of the meeting he had with Kishida during the latter’s visit to Saudi Arabia in July and hoped cooperation would be further strengthened.