Message from Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on the closing of the "2005 EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges"

December 2005
Japanese

In the "2005 EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges," which plays a key role in the area of people and culture exchanges in the "Decade of Japan-Europe Cooperation" launched in 2001, over 1,700 events in a wide range of areas were conducted in Japan and the 25 Member States of the European Union (EU).

The "2005 EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges" proved to be a great success from the perspective of the number of countries and events, and also from the broad range of participants and the great diversity in terms of the contents of the events. The experience and achievements gained from this year-long exchange will become a valuable asset to Japan-EU relations. I believe that we should utilize the experience we have attained this year as a new starting point from which the Japan-EU exchanges will take further steps forward into the future.

Japan, together with the EU, would like to offer our sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed to these events in both regions for their enthusiasm and activities for the "2005 EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges." I am confident that the ties between Japan and the EU nurtured through the year will serve as a basis for further strengthening the Japan-EU partnership.