Tokyo, 12 May 2022 (TDI): The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, met the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida at the 28th EU-Japan summit.
The summit is being held in Tokyo. During the meeting, the two sides discussed bilateral relations together with important global and regional challenges.
Joint statement of the 28th #EUJapanSummit with @eucopresident @JPN_PMO @kishida230 and @vonderleyen in #Tokyo https://t.co/kfowMuUMXM pic.twitter.com/zLFJ2fsaLR
— Barend Leyts (@BarendLeyts) May 12, 2022
The discussions focused on Russia’s war against Ukraine, Security, and Defense, Digital Partnership, a free and open Indo-Pacific region, bilateral issues specifically climate change mitigation, and the visit to Hiroshima by the President of the European Council on the 13th of May.
In addition, there was an adopted joint statement and a launch of the Digital Partnership. The leaders of the EU and Japan continued on affirming their close and comprehensive relationship grounded in their common interests.
They pointed out that the Russian war violated international law, and the principles of the UN Charter as well as undermined global security and stability.
“The EU and Japan have a deep and dynamic relationship. Japan is our closest strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region.
Russia’s war against Ukraine has shown that deeper cooperation is not a luxury, it’s a vital necessity,” said the President of the European Council.
Therefore, they demanded Russia halt its military aggression and withdraw its forces. They stated to continue providing coordinated political, financial, material, and humanitarian support to Ukraine.
More to this, they discussed strengthening EU-Japan cooperation on humanitarian aid and respect for International Humanitarian Law.
They stated that they will strive in broadening the global donor base as well enhancing cooperation on disaster risk reduction, response, and recovery.
Additionally, the EU and Japan emphasized their determination to strengthen cooperation in terms of promoting economic security. Consequently, they will fortify the resilience of their economies.
Lastly, the launch of the EU-Japan Digital Partnership is for advancing cooperation on a variety of digital issues. As a result, it will foster economic growth and achieve a sustainable society.
