TEHRAN -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said on Monday Iran-Japan joint efforts to obtain the release of a Japanese tourist kidnapped in southeastern Iran last year has deepened bilateral ties.

Twenty-three-year-old Satoshi Nakamura who had been kidnapped by drug dealers was freed on Saturday after eight months in captivity and arrived in Tehran from the southeastern city of Zahedan on Sunday.
He was abducted on October 8, 2007, in Kerman Province as he was on the way to the ruins of the ancient citadel of Bam and then taken to Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference with Japan’s Senior Deputy Foreign Minister Itsunori Onodera and the released student, Hosseini said Tehran and Tokyo can develop further cooperation in campaign against organized crimes and terrorism.
“We expect Japanese officials to maintain good relations with Iranian nationals in Japan and defend their rights as before,” he said.
Onodera, for his part, expressed appreciation for Iran’s unfailing efforts to secure the release of the kidnapped student.
According to Iranian officials, a bandit called Esmail Shahbakhsh was responsible for the kidnapping and had demanded the release of his arrested son in exchange for Nakamura.
However, the commander of the Iranian border patrol, Qasem Rezaii, stated that Nakamura’s release has been secured without giving in to the demands of the hostage-takers.