TOKYO (Asharq Al-Awsat and Agencies) – Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz concluded his three-day visit to Japan Friday. It was the first stop on the Crown Prince’s three-nation tour of Asia that also includes visits to Singapore and Pakistan.

Before his departure, Crown Prince Sultan attended a luncheon held in his honor by Japanese economic organizations, including the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Japanese Association for Foreign Trade, Japanese-Saudi Friendship Association and the Japanese Businessmen Association. In his remarks, Crown Prince Sultan stressed that Saudi Arabia’s oil policy seeks to ensure market stability and promote global economic growth.

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince said the kingdom would pay for students to study in Japan in a move to boost cooperation and promote understanding between the civilizations, according to AFP.

Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, who is also deputy premier and defense minister, said Japan has been added to a list of countries where Saudi Arabia will send students. Only about 30 Saudi students are now known to study in Japan.

Receiving an honorary doctorate from Tokyo’s prestigious Waseda University, the prince called for “more cooperation in various areas of scientific research which will be of benefit and goodness for all humanity.”

“We call upon the world community to intensify efforts in supporting peaceful and constructive coexistence among nations and the respect of the human being, as well as rejecting all forms of discrimination, violence, extremism and aggression,” he said.

Japan has close economic ties with Saudi Arabia, which supplies more than one million barrels of crude oil a day to fuel Asia’s largest economy.

The crown prince agreed Thursday with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to launch talks on a free trade agreement between Japan and the Gulf Cooperation Council of six Arab monarchies.