EU Leaders Stress Trade, Security Links After PM Suga Summit

Japan and the EU have released a joint statement following the conclusion of a video meeting between Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga and European Council and Commission Presidents Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen.

PDF attached below:

eu-japan-summit-may-2021-statement.pdf

Some key passages below:

• "Based on the deep and lasting partnerships that we both enjoy with the United States, we are keen to strengthen our trilateral cooperation in support of our shared values and interests."
• "We support the holding of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 in a safe and secure manner this summer as a symbol of global unity in defeating COVID-19."
• "We support strengthening and reforming the World Trade Organization as a central pillar of the global economic system"
• "We mark two years since the entry into force of our Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and express our general satisfaction with its positive results, despite the impact on global trade due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We reaffirm that full and effective implementation of the EPA remains a joint priority."
• "Building on the commonalities between our respective approaches to the 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"
• "We will enhance consultations on security, particularly on non-proliferation and disarmament and on countering hybrid threats and expand practical cooperation in areas such as cybersecurity, maritime security and crisis management. We recognize the importance of transparent, reliable and fact-based information for the resilience of our societies and democracies and will continue dialogues on countering disinformation."
• "We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas and strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo and increase tensions."
• "We underscore the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues."