Visit to Japan by Mr. Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, Prime Minister of Romania
(Summary and Evaluation)
February 26, 2007
The Prime Minister of Romania, Mr. Calin Popescu-Tariceanu visited Japan accompanied by his wife at the invitation of the Government of Japan between February 21 (Wed) and 23 (Sat). A summary and evaluation of his visit is as follows.
1. Itinerary
On February 23, Prime Minister Tariceanu and his wife were received in audience by the Emperor and Empress. On the previous day, February 22, Prime Minister Tariceanu held a leaders' meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. On the evening of that day, Prime Minister and Mrs. Tariceanu attended a welcome dinner held by Minister for Foreign Affairs Taro Aso and his wife. In addition, Prime Minister Tariceanu exchanged opinions with members of the business community in Japan including representatives and members of the Japan-Romania Economic Committee and the Japan Federation of Economic Organization.
2. Summary of Leaders' Meeting
(1) Prime Minister Abe congratulated Prime Minister Tariceanu on Romania's membership of the European Union and conveyed the message that Japan wishes to develop close ties with Romania as partners who share basic values. Prime Minister Abe further said that Japan was seeking to strengthen its strategic partnership with the EU including Romania and to deal with international issues in a cooperative fashion.
(2) In response, Prime Minister Tariceanu thanked Japan for the economic cooperation it has extended to Romania up to now, and also expressed his expectation that Japanese companies would further expand their investment in Romania in future in order to strengthen economic ties between the two nations.
(3) Prime Minister Tariceanu also said that he was paying close attention to the Arc of Freedom and Prosperity which Japanese diplomacy formulates as its new guideline, and to Japan's position that attaches importance to its relationship with Europe. In response, Prime Minister Abe said that the Arc of Freedom and Prosperity is indeed one of Japan's major diplomatic pillars based on which Japan would develop its diplomacy.
(4) The two leaders also exchanged their views concerning North Korean affairs and the reform of the United Nations Security Council.
(a) Prime Minister Abe said that Japan wished to continue to have active support and cooperation from Romania in working toward an early realization of UN Security Council reforms and Japan's quest to become a permanent member of the Security Council. Prime Minister Tariceanu expressed his view that it was logical and legitimate for Japan to obtain a permanent Security Council seat and that Romania had decided to support Japan's candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council in 2008.
(b) Regarding the North Korean issue, Prime Minister Abe explained about the summary and results of the six-party talks, which had taken place a few days previously. He also said that the abduction issue was the most important task of his administration and that in order to resolve this issue as quickly as possible, Japan wished to strengthen its cooperation with the international community including Romania. Accordingly, Prime Minister Abe asked for Romania's understanding. In reply, Prime Minister Tariceanu said that in the same way as Japan, Romania also had an abduction issue with North Korea, and so Romania promised to give Japan unconditional political and technical cooperation in the interests of resolving this issue.
3. Evaluation
(1) Prime Minister Tariceanu's visit was the first ever visit to Japan by a Romanian Prime Minister, as well as the first foreign visit by the Prime Minister of Romania since it became a member of the EU. Following closely the recent visit by Foreign Minister Taro Aso to Romania in January of this year, the successful realization of Prime Minister Tariceanu's visit to Japan has generated momentum towards further progress in the Japan-Romania relationship.
(2) Japan, which has consistently supported Romania's democratization and adoption of a market economy since the latter's change of regime in 1989, congratulates Romania on its membership of the EU. The two nations agree that they are both aiming to build a relationship as partners that share common basic values.
(3) Within the EU market, Romania has relatively low-cost labor, and it is expected that Japanese companies will invest increasingly in the country in future. The visit confirmed the necessity of further strengthening economic ties between Japan and Romania on a private-sector level.
(4) As partners sharing basic values, both nations agreed to Japan's strengthening of its strategic partnership with the EU including Romania. Also, both nations are aiming to reinforce their joint undertakings towards addressing the problems of international society, such as the North Korean issue and the issue of UN Security Council reform. Moreover, Romania expressed its decision to support Japan's candidacy for election to a non-permanent seat on the Security Council in 2008.
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