AFR Results from the EU-Japan Summit on 8 July 2002
08.07.02
On 8 July 2002, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen chaired the EU negotiations with Japan during the Summit in Tokyo.
At the Summit, the parties discussed the joint EU-Japan action plan, the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, the ASEM 4 Summit in Copenhagen and current foreign policy questions.
At the subsequent press conference, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen expressed great satisfaction with the results achieved:
“We have had a very fruitful meeting covering many areas as you will see from our joint statement.
Japan and the EU are among the most important economic and political entities in the world. We exert a major influence on the economic and political development in our respective regions as well as globally.
Our Summit has confirmed EU-Japan relations are dynamic and vibrant.
I would like to point to five key results from our meeting:
1) Intensification of cooperation under the EU-Japan Action Plan. We have decided to step up our efforts to develop practical cooperation under the EU-Japan Action Plan.
2) Close cooperation on trade and WTO. We have agreed to cooperate closely on trade and will work closely to strengthen the WTO. We agree that we must accelerate negotiations on all aspects of the Doha-agenda, including on market access. We are concerned over the measures taken by the US in the steel sector.
3) Close cooperation on Johannesburg Summit. We have agreed to cooperate closely on the Johannesburg Summit on Sustainable Development. The EU is working to promote a global deal at the Summit. We see a need for concluding a global deal with the following key elements: better market access, more development assistance, good governance and a better environment. The EU is looking forward to close cooperation with Japan in this respect.
4) ASEM 4. We have also agreed to cooperate closely on the Fourth Asia-Europe Meeting, which will be held in Copenhagen in late September 2002. As host of that meeting I appreciate that very much.
5) EU enlargement. Finally, I am pleased that Prime Minister Koizumi expressed his strong support to EU enlargement. This will be the main task of the Danish Presidency during the coming six months. Our goal is to conclude accession negotiations with up to ten countries at the EU Summit in Copenhagen in December. We have a historical duty to exploit on this historic opportunity. Must close definitively one of the dark chapters of Europe’s history. We want no more red lines across Europe.
All in all, our meeting has reconfirmed the close ties between the EU and Japan. We will continue to develop these ties. Politically, economically and within trade and investment.”
The press release of the Summit may be found at www.eu2002.dk.