Brussels, 05/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - European Commission President Romano Prodi will pay an official visit to Singapore on Saturday, followed by a visit to Tokyo, together with Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen, for the EU-Japan Summit on 8 July. In Singapore, the Commission President will meet President Sellapan Rama Nathan and government leaders and pave the way for the opening of the European Commission's new Delegation in Singapore later this year. At the Summit in Tokyo on Monday, President Prodi will be accompanied by Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy and Industry Commissioner Erkki Liikkanen. The EU's main objectives for the Summit include: ensuring that the joint action plan agreed at the last EU-Japan Summit in Brussels in November 2002 is implemented in a vigorous and focussed manner; cementing a strong commitment to maintaining the momentum of negotiations on the Doha Development Agenda; and further strengthening co-operation with Japan as regards reconstruction in Afghanistan and resumption of the peace process in the Middle East.
The Summit will start at 12: 40 hrs at the new official residence of Prime Minister Koizumi with the submission of a report to summit leaders by representatives of the EU-Japan Business Dialogue Round Table and then a working lunch with an exchange of views on a number of international issues such as combatting terrorism, India-Pakistan, the Middle East, Afghanistan, North Korea, China, Russia, and the Western Balkans. At the formal plenary session, the EU and Japan aim to ensure that the joint action plan agreed in November 2001 is properly implemented (on the economy and EU enlargement and institutional reform). The Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development and the Kyoto Protocol are also on the agenda, but the parties are expected to seize the opportunity to consider the steel dispute between the EU and the US, where Japan holds similar views to the EU. They are expected to consolidate their commitments to advancing the Doha development agenda, another area where Japan's views coincide with the EU's. Close Commission sources suggest that the discussions may be less smooth over the issue of access to the Japanese market and improving the business climate in general, particularly in terms of telecoms. Although it is in the process of being amended, Japanese telecommunications legislation runs contrary to WTO rules in various areas, for example new entrants and regulator independence.