Keynote Speech

Vice-President of Waseda University Professor Morita,
Mr.Famaey
Mr Carlier,
Distinguished speakers
And ladies and gentlemen

Good morning.
It is my great pleasure to be a part of this EU-Japan Forum.

Let me first start by expressing my appreciation to Waseda University, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and the European Institute for Asian Studies for organizing this forum.

Let me also offer my congratulations to Waseda Brussels Office on its establishment back in April this year. I understand that Waseda Brussels Office was opened to provide a new platform for students and researchers in Brussels to further deepen the understanding of relations between Japan, Belgium and Europe. I can see through this forum today that Waseda Brussels Office is already acting to the utmost extent of its purpose by gathering respected academics from both Japan and Europe. Networks at every level are important and this network of academics is one of the vital elements of Japan-EU relations.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the very first time I have participated in an open event in Brussels, and I would like to thank you very much for inviting me to speak here today. Looking around this room, I see some familiar faces, but to most of you, let me first formally introduce myself. My name is Kazuo KODAMA, Ambassador to the Mission of Japan to the European Union, and I arrived in Brussels about one month ago. Before this, I was the Japanese Ambassador to the OECD. It is not exaggeration when I tell you that I consider myself very lucky to be here in Brussels, the capital of Europe, and I feel a great responsibility. To add on the many years of successful cooperation, today Japan and the EU is about to step into a new phase of cooperation at every level.

Coming to Brussels at such a pivotal time, as an Ambassador to the EU, I have 2 major priorities. One of which is, of course, to facilitate the conclusion of the Japan EU/Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA/FTA) and the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA).

Last month, Japan and the EU held the 17th round of negotiations of the Japan EU/EPA (FTA). I can tell you that the negotiations are now making steady and solid progress. With strong commitments from both of our leaders, Prime Minister Abe and President Tusk of the European Council, both Japanese and European negotiators are rolling up their sleeves and working tirelessly to reach an agreement in principle as soon as possible this year.

I am not directly involved in this important negotiation myself, but I believe what is expected for me is to be a facilitator, providing a bridge between Japan and Europe, in order to keep the momentum alive so that we can conclude these very important agreements in principle by the end of this year. The Japan-EU/EPA (FTA) is an ambitious agreement and seen as the most effective tool for realizing the potential of the Japanese and EU economics, boosting economic and inclusive growth, employment and business competitiveness.
Trade and investment, while important, are not the only areas in which Japan and the EU are deepening and strengthening relations. Japan and the EU are also well into negotiating a Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA). This agreement encompasses our whole relationship, establishing a legal binding foundation for the coming decades to promote substantial cooperation in a wider variety of areas such as political, security, economic/business, and social issues, as well as cooperation in the areas of science, technology, innovation, space, education, sports, culture and the list goes on.

These 2 agreements will form a fundamental part of our future cooperation, thus we have every reason to boost the negotiation process, and I am here to play my role as a facilitator in doing so.

The other priority is to be on top of the Brexit process. On 23rd June, the referendum was held in the UK to decide whether to remain in the EU or to leave. It soon became clear that votes in support of leaving the EU had achieved a majority. The Government of Japan set up a task force on Brexit, and at the beginning of last month, we issued a message to the UK and the EU. For those who haven’t read it yet, you can find it on the Mission of Japan’s website. It is an important 15 page long message and I am not going to go through it page by page here, but if you can take a look at the very first page of it, the summary, it will give you a good idea. The crystal clear message here is that Japan wants to avoid any unpleasant surprises or uncertainty, and wishes to maintain an open Europe even after the UK leaves the EU. There are still many more uncertainties around Brexit. In fact, nothing is certain yet at this stage, and this uncertainty is a major problem for a stable economy. In this aspect, I welcome the recent remark of Mrs May at her very first summit of EU leaders last week that she wishes that Brexit will be “a smooth, constructive, orderly process minimizing uncertainty”. This is exactly what we expect and, as Ambassador to the EU, I intend to closely observe the process of Brexit and its impact on Japan and the international community.

Both Japan and the EU are responsible for leading the free trade system, and in this context, it is even more important for us to conclude the Japan-EU/EPA(FTA) at the earliest stage possible.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Japan and the EU have a long history of successful cooperation across a wide range of fields. This is based on our mutual trust and understanding, as well as our commitment to shared values such as democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Our relationship in recent years has significantly deepened and strengthened, but with new comprehensive agreements, namely the EPA and the SPA, it is time for us to elevate our cooperation onto even higher terrain.

The Japan-EU relationship has a vital importance for both sides involved, but it is also significant in the bigger picture. I have been in the Foreign Service for 40 years now, and looking back to the 70s and 80s, I remember that we talked a lot about Japan, EU and US trilateral cooperation. You may ask why I bring this to your attention today. It is because, in my view, this trilateral cooperation between these 3 like-minded partners is even more relevant nowadays. When we take a look at today’s world economy, according to the OECD Interim Economic Outlook, global GDP growth remains low, and the world trade growth is exceptionally weak. There are many variables behind this, but focusing on how we can raise growth in the world economy, one of the solutions is certainly to remove trade restrictions and boost trade. The key here is a free and open global trade system, and Japan, the EU and the US can form a dynamic triangle to take a lead in guiding the world to reduce poverty and improve welfare and quality of life. . Imagine a triangle with Japan, the EU and the US at each vertex. In connecting Japan and the EU, the Japan-EU/EPA(FTA) can, without a doubt, play a significant role. To connect the EU and the US, a strong line can be drawn with TTIP. I know that right now TTIP is controversial to some people, but the necessity and the benefit of TTIP, and its positive impact on world economy, is very clear. Finally, in order to link Japan and the US and to complete this global triangle, we have TPP, which is currently being discussed in the Japanese Diet. With these 3 important agreements in place, we could form a solid global triangle to achieve a stable and prosperous world economy.

This trilateral cooperation is also important because it can help us to ensure democracy and lead us to global stability. The idea of democracy is often challenged in today’s world. Inequality among nations and within nations is widening, and the quality of democracy is questioned. This trilateral cooperation is not only about boosting the world economy, but it can also help spread our shared values. Reinhold Neibuhr, the American theoretician once said “Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.” Democracy is necessary now more than ever, and here I am optimistic that we can continue to ensure it with all three players in place. With all this being said, you can see how the Japan-EU/EPA (FTA), the SPA and the entire Japan-EU relationship is not simply about just Japan and the EU. Of course, global cooperation is not just about these three partners, and the circle of like-minded global partners is indeed much larger than that and includes for example, OECD and the UN. Working together, members of these organizations can continue to strengthen a community of nations committed to the values of democracy based on the rule of law and human rights, and adherence to open and transparent market economy principles, values which we aim to uphold and strengthen through the conclusion of the Japan-EU EPA and SPA.

I have taken a look at the program of this important 2 day forum. The themes which will be discussed range from science and technology to social science and humanity. It is natural and only makes sense to discuss this wide range, as there are so many grounds to cover when we talk about Japan- EU relations. Although I informed you earlier that my priorities as Ambassador is to facilitate the Japan-EU/EPA(FTA), and also to monitor the process of Brexit, Japan-EU relations does not merely concern economics. So I am glad to learn that many aspects of Japan-EU relations will be discussed at this forum over the next 2 days. It is always a great opportunity for experts and academics to take stock of current situations relating to Japan and Europe.

To conclude my remarks, I would once again like to extend my appreciation for inviting me here to speak, and I look forward to fruitful and informative discussion. And I wish with the presence of Waseda Brussels Desk here in Brussels, that we will have many more opportunities like this to gather together to discuss Japan-EU relations in the future.

Thank you very much for your attention.