Joint Statement
on the occasion of the entry into force of the Agreement between Japan and Brunei Darussalam for an Economic Partnership

1. We, Masahiko Koumura, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Fukushiro Nukaga the Minister of Finance of Japan and Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei Darussalam, met on 31 July 2008 in Tokyo, to hold the first meeting of the Joint Committee established under the Japan - Brunei Economic Partnership Agreement (hereinafter referred to as "the Agreement"). The Agreement was signed on 18 June 2007 in Tokyo Japan, by the Prime Minister of Japan and His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, and enters into force today.
2. At its first meeting, the Joint Committee adopted the Operational Procedures referred to in Chapter 3 (Rules of Origin) of the Agreement.
3. We reaffirmed our resolve to ensure the effective implementation of the Agreement. We shared the view that the Agreement will contribute to enhancing the cross-border flow of goods, services and investment between the two countries, ensuring the stable supply of energy, and improving the business environments of both Japan and Brunei Darussalam. We also recognized the importance of bilateral cooperation, including through capacity building, in fields of mutual interest such as those of human resource development, energy and environment, and believe that such bilateral cooperation will also contribute to the strengthening of regional economic integration.
4. We were pleased to note that, even before the entry into force of the Agreement, the private sectors of both countries have always had good relationships in various fields. We expressed the hope that, with the entry into force of the Agreement, the activities of the private sectors would be further accelerated and improved, and will continue to enhance the economic ties of both countries.
5. We underscored that the Agreement will bring our relationship to a new and higher level of partnership and enable both countries to make the most of their economic complementarities and further promote the development of their respective economies.

Tokyo, 31 July 2008