Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have confirmed their countries' cooperation in the energy field to achieve decarbonization of society.

Kishida is visiting Saudi Arabia, the first leg of his three-nation tour of the Middle East. The meeting between the two on Sunday lasted more than two hours, including a dinner.

The two leaders shared the view that the stable supply of crude oil is critical as the prospects for international energy markets remain unclear against the backdrop of the situation in Ukraine.

Kishida explained Japan's initiative to back Saudi Arabia through its cutting-edge technologies in the field of next-generation energy, including hydrogen and ammonia.

The two confirmed that their countries will increase cooperation on decarbonization. Saudi Arabia has been introducing renewable energy to try to diversify its industries.

Kishida also stressed the importance of the international order based on the rule of law -- apparently with Russia and China in mind -- and called for Saudi Arabia's cooperation.

The two agreed to launch a foreign minister-level strategic dialogue for promoting exchanges in the diplomatic and security fields.

After the meeting, Kishida told reporters that he and the Saudi crown prince confirmed the importance of stable energy markets. He said they agreed that the two nations will deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of critical minerals essential for clean energy and decarbonization.

The prime minister said that using Japan's technologies, the two countries will work together to help the Middle East become a hub for the global supply of clean energy and key minerals.

He added that under the new initiative, relations between the two countries will evolve from those between an oil producer and a consumer into a new global partnership.