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Japan-EU Summit Meeting (Overview)

October 04, 2011

On Thursday, 22nd September, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda had a summit meeting for about 40 minutes from 10:15 local time (23:15 Japan time) with H.E. Mr. Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, and H.E. Mr. José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, when the Prime Minister visited New York to attend the UN General Assembly.

1. President Van Rompuy of the European Council offered his congratulations to Prime Minister Noda on his new appointment. Prime Minister Noda expressed his gratitude for the relief supplies and support from the EU in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake. He also stated his strong commitment to further work on recovery from the disaster, and economic growth, while keeping active contribution in tackling global issues.


2. President Van Rompuy stated that the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station had a significant impact on nuclear energy policy in Europe and that it is a shared responsibility of Japan and the EU to ensure the safety of nuclear power stations. Prime Minister Noda expressed his determination to contribute to the international community by sharing lessons learned from the accident accurately and promptly.


3. Regarding an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and a political agreement for which Japan and the EU had agreed to start the process for negotiations at the last Japan-EU Summit in May this year, Prime Minister Noda also said that the discussion toward a high level economic partnership ought to be accelerated as global partners which share fundamental values. President Barroso of the European Commission stressed EU’s full commitment to carrying forward the agreed process and huge potential of Japan-EU cooperation.