Japan-Germany Relations
Holding of the 33rd Japanese-German Forum
From December 3 to 5, the 33rd Japanese-German Forum was held in Berlin. The overview is as following;
- The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Eizo Kobayashi, Director Emeritus of ITOCHU Corporation, and Prof. Dr. Daniela Schwarzer, Member of the Executive Board, Bertelsmann Stiftung, and attended by experts from various fields including H.E. Mr. Christian Wulff, Former President of the Federal Republic of Germany. They had a lively exchange of views on the political and social situation in Japan and Germany as well as the situation in international affairs.
- In the open session, which also served as a commemorative event marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Japanese-German Center Berlin (JDZB), participants discussed the theme “Past – Present – Future. Reviewing the Japanese-German Partnership.” The session provided an opportunity to reflect on the Japan-Germany relations and explore ways to further enhance cooperation in the future.
- In the subsequent first session, under the theme of “A New World Order: Challenges and Approaches from German and Japanese Perspectives,” and in second session, under the theme of “International Developments as Internal Challenges: The Current Political, Economic, and Social Situation in Germany and Japan,” as well as in third session, under the theme of “Space Utilization Beyond Borders: Germany and Japan's Roles and the Future of Bilateral Cooperation,” there was an open and candid discussions on the role that diplomacy of Japan and Germany should play in maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order, as well as on how both countries can address the challenges they commonly face.
- On December 4, participants from both delegations visited the German Federal Chancellery.
(Reference) Japanese-German Forum
The Japanese-German Forum was created in 1993, based on the agreement of (then) Japanese Prime Minister MIYAZAWA Kiichi and (then) German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, for the purpose of strengthening Japan-Germany relations and promoting mutual understanding, as a group of eminent persons consisting of experts in various fields from each country who engage in open debate. A joint meeting of the Forum, attended by high-level participants from politics, business, academia, and other fields from Japan and Germany, is convened annually, with the venue alternating between Japan and Germany, and a statement from the meeting is submitted to the Japanese Prime Minister and the German Chancellor.