Japan and Europe share fundamental values such as democracy, human rights, rule of law and market economy, and Europe is a partner playing leading roles toward peace and prosperity of the international community together with Japan. Europe has tremendous economic power with more than 25% of the world’s GDP and the capacity to arouse international opinion against the backdrop of influences through its major media outlets and think tanks as well as power of its languages, cultures and art. European nations also have a strong presence in a number of international fora. Two of the five permanent members of the UNSC are European nations (the UK and France), and the G8 members also include four European countries (the UK, France, Germany and Italy) and one organization (the EU). In addition, other European nations and international organizations, such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), have been increasing their presence and influence by leveraging their individual advantages. Therefore, strengthening the relations between Europe and Japan is crucial for effectively addressing an array of global issues, such as global economy, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the fight against terrorism, energy security, and climate change, and achieving Japan’s policy goals amid the global environment in which the power balance is shifting due to the rise of emerging countries.
　With such recognition, Minister for Foreign Affairs Gemba visited France, the UK and Germany in October 2012 during which he extensively exchanged views with his counterparts on the outstanding issues of the international community. Additionally, Japan attempted to strengthen its relations with Europe through such occasions as visits of European leaders, including the UK Prime Minister Cameron, and international conferences, such as the G8 Summit Meeting in May, the UN General Assembly in September and the Ninth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 9) in November 2012.
　With regard to the economy, in order to tackle the European sovereign debt crisis, which was the largest risk factor to the global economy, Europe has advanced its efforts to address mid to long-term structural issues, such as the Fiscal Union, the Banking Union and economic growth, in addition to taking short-term measures to stabilize the financial markets. Japan has been proactively supporting European efforts by, for instance, continuously purchasing European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) bonds and European Stability Mechanism (ESM) bonds, and by announcing in the early stage its intention to contribute to the increase of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) resources, which later helped form the agreement by the other countries to follow suit.
　Furthermore, citizen-level exchanges in a wide range of fields, including culture, have helped Japan and Europe maintain a close relationship.