London, Britain's King Charles welcomed Japan's Emperor Naruhito and his wife to London at a Buckingham Palace banquet on Tuesday, celebrating economic, diplomatic and cultural ties on the first day of a three-day state visit. "Our governments are working together to provide a stable world for future generations," said Charles, flanked by Queen Camilla on one side and Naruhito on the other. "Supporting all these shared endeavours are the enduring ties between our people that transcend geography - and that does not just mean how much we enjoy tea and talking about the weather." The emperor's trip, postponed from 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, seeks to deepen the military, cultural and scientific links between the two countries. Naruhito paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth, who was on the throne when the invitation was first issued, highlighted Charles' work on environmental projects and spoke of the strength of diplomatic ties. "The multi-layered collaboration and exchange between our two countries is accelerating in various areas including politics and diplomacy, the economy, culture and the arts, science and technology as well as education," he said. "Our bilateral relations have never been more robust." Source: Bahrain News Agency