For this 28th EU-Japan Summit, the response to the Covid-19 pandemic is no longer the focus of the joint declaration, as it was in 2021. The need to curb Russia’s war in Ukraine took centre stage in discussions, on Thursday 12 May, between European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
“We both promote a multilateral global system, based on rules designed to protect and benefit all. And it is precisely because this vision is so often challenged today, that the EU is looking to strengthen its relationships with like-minded partners, such as Japan”, said Ursula von der Leyen.
The EU welcomed Japan’s solidarity with Ukraine and discussed ways to avoid Russian circumvention of sanctions in the future. Since 24 February, Japan has also imposed sanctions on Russia. The latter responded by exiting negotiations on a peace treaty between Moscow and Tokyo, which was never signed since the Second World War.
“Japan is collaborating with the G7 and EU to implement powerful sanctions vis a vis Russia. Japan and the EU will be working closely”, said Fumio Kishida at the end of the summit. The EU and Japan call on Russia to immediately stop its military aggression in Ukraine, to withdraw its troops and to respect the territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine.
Two strong partners on the international scene
In the field of security and defence, the EU and Japan want to consult and cooperate on issues such as cyber security, countering disinformation, maritime security and crisis management. They intend, for example, to expand their dialogue on information manipulation and interference by state and non-state actors.
In their statement, they focus on the case of North Korea, which represents a military threat in the Indo-Pacific region. The EU and Japan reiterated their condemnation of Pyongyang’s ballistic missile tests (see EUROPE 12919/20) and recalled that the country cannot have the status of a nuclear weapon State under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Tensions in the East China Sea were also discussed. Both partners expressed their concern about the escalation of tensions in the region and intimidation.
The three leaders have also shown interest in China, with which they hope to deepen their exchanges. They want to keep an eye on developments in Beijing, especially on the human rights situation in the country. In the face of China’s attempts at economic coercion, the EU and Japan say they are determined to work together to promote economic security, including by strengthening the resilience of their economies.
Overall, the EU reiterated its desire to strengthen its presence in the Indo-Pacific region. “We will enhance cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive and based on the Rule of law and democratic values, as well as unconstrained by coercion”, the two partners say in the joint statement.
Together, the EU and Japan could establish synergies between their two strategies for this region.
Bilateral relations
The three leaders announced, during the summit, the launch of an EU-Japan Digital Partnership. This should allow for enhanced cooperation on: - free flow of data respecting privacy; - safe and ethical applications of artificial intelligence; - the resilience of global supply chains in the semiconductor industry; - 5G and 6G technologies; - green data infrastructures; - the digital regulation; - the development of standards. The work of this partnership is expected to begin without delay and will be the subject of annual progress reports.
Beyond the subject of digital technology, all exchanges regarding trade can be further expanded, according to the EU and Japan. Both sides want, for example, to accelerate work towards the full implementation of commitments on sanitary and phytosanitary standards. This includes limiting barriers to market entry due to these health standards. To this end, discussions are expected to continue on the mutual recognition of local animal health decisions.
The three leaders also continued the dialogue on connectivity between Japan and the EU. They welcomed the horizontal agreement between the two sides on air services and called for its early signature.
The Global Gateway Initiative (see EUROPE 12844/7) should build on the momentum of the Partnership on Sustainable Connectivity and Quality Infrastructure. “I would like to work with Japan on identifying good projects in this context, building on two pioneering initiatives: our Connectivity Partnership and our Green Alliance”, stressed Ursula von der Leyen.
Both parties are moreover committed to continuing the work on this Green Alliance launched in 2021 (see EUROPE 12728/13). It has already led to significant cooperation on energy transition, environmental protection, trade, research and finance, according to the joint statement.
Work is expected to continue in the energy sector as well. Later this year, the two parties said they hope to have a joint memorandum of cooperation on hydrogen. The EU also expressed its gratitude to Japan for supplying liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the EU. “In the light of sanctions on Russia, we will cooperate to keep global energy markets stable and help ensure each other’s security of supply, in particular for the supply of LNG.”.
Lastly, the EU and Japan opened discussions on Tokyo’s association with the European research programme ‘Horizon Europe’.
See the Joint Statement: https://aeur.eu/f/1lp (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)