Meeting between Mr. Masahiko Koumura, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Mrs. Connie Hedegaard, Minister for Climate and Energy of the Kingdom of Denmark

June 16, 2008

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On June 16 (Mon), Mrs. Connie Hedegaard, Minister for Climate and Energy of the Kingdom of Denmark, who is currently visiting Japan, held talks with Mr. Masahiko Koumura, Minister for Foreign Affairs, from 10:10 a.m. to 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Koumura welcomed Mrs. Hedegaard’s visit to Japan. As for the formulation of a framework for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions beyond 2012, he said that Japan will cooperate with Denmark toward the agreement at the COP15, which Denmark will chair and host in 2009. Mrs. Hedegaard said that she was encouraged by the fact that the climate change has been given priority as an issue, as indicated by the Prime Minister’s speech “In Pursuit of ‘Japan as a Low-Carbon Society’,”and hoped to receive cooperation and advice from Japan for the success of the COP15.
Mr. Koumura also mentioned that the environment and climate change are among the main themes at the Hokkaido Toyako Summit and pointed out the importance of collaboration among developed countries for establishing an effective framework beyond 2012 to achieve emissions reduction worldwide in which all major emitting countries participate in a responsible manner. In response, Mrs. Hedegaard said that she agreed with the necessity of all the major gas emitting countries to participate and added that the EU also hoped to cooperate with Japan.

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