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EU and Japan discuss global challenges like climate change

Summit talks between the European Union (EU) and Japan will be held in Tokyo on 23 April 2008. Discussions will focus on strengthening cooperation on key global challenges such as climate change and meeting the Millennium Development Goals, particularly in Africa. This meeting, ahead of the G8 from 7-9 July in Japan, will also address the situation in the WTO Doha Development Agenda negotiations, global economic prospects, and regional issues in East Asia, the Middle East, Afghanistan and Myanmar, as well as EU-Japan relations.

European Commission President Jos辿 Manuel Barroso will represent the EU, together with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jan邸a in his capacity as President-in-office of the European Council. They will be joined by Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and Commissioner for External Trade, Peter Mandelson, as well as the Slovenian Minister of Economy, Andrej Vizjak. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda will represent Japan.

President Barroso said,”Japan is an important global player and a key strategic partner for the EU. We have a shared responsibility to show leadership on key global challenges. Climate change is perhaps the single most important of these and industrialised countries must lead by example. We are working very closely with Japan to build common ground in the critical negotiations for a post-2012 framework, which were launched in Bali. A lot is riding on the G8 meeting which Japan will host in July.”

Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner said: “The EU and Japan have a lot in common: we share the same basic attachment to human rights, good governance and democracy. We are partners in promoting peace and stability in many parts of the world such as Afghanistan, the Middle East, Sri Lanka and Chad. Japan has made welcome contributions to European stability with its efforts in the Western Balkans and the Middle East. I hope to continue and even intensify this cooperation worldwide.”

Commissioner Mandelson said: “Our strong trading relationship still has a lot of potential. I hope that my Japanese partners and I can build on an excellent foundation in order to remove remaining barriers and to promote productive European Foreign Direct Investment into Japan. If we can also attain our common goal of a successful Doha round by the end of this year, then the future looks bright.”

Background:

This is the 17th annual EU-Japan summit.
Japan was identified as a strategic partner of the EU in the European Security Strategy of 2003. Bilateral relations are based on the 2001 Joint Action Plan which sets out four main objectives for cooperation: promoting peace and security, cooperating for greater prosperity, assuming global responsibility and the bringing together of people and cultures. Apart from summit meetings, regular dialogue takes place on a host of issues at ministerial and senior-officials level.
Japan is the world’s second-largest national economy. In 2007, Japan was the EU’s fifth-largest trading partner Total merchandise bilateral trade amounted to € 121.6 billion. Total EU merchandise exported to Japan was worth €43.7 billion.

 

Further information:
http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/japan/intro/index.htm
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/september/tradoc_113403.pdf

Reference:
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/620&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

最終変更日時 2008年6月1日8:25 AM