The European Union and Japan are signing a partnership for sustainable connectivity and infrastructure on Friday, 27 September. This groundbreaking initiative is intended to signal to the international community the EU’s fundamental interest in connectivity issues and the international role it intends to play in this area.
A senior Commission official stated that should Japan be, according to European sources, a natural partner for the EU in this endeavour (see EUROPE 12184/3 and 12064/2), this step should pave the way for similar partnerships with other countries.
The first edition of the European connectivity forum is also being held the same day, with more than 1000 participants from 52 countries expected to attend. Called “EU-Asia Connectivity: Building bridges for a sustainable future”, this international conference aims to strengthen ties between the EU’s public players, financial institutions, and private operators and its Asia-Pacific partners.
These initiatives are driven by the EU’s ambition to gain visibility with partners that share its values in order to promote a European model of connectivity based on reliable standards and inspired by a sustainable vision simultaneously from a budgetary, economic, social, and environmental point of view. (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)