Visit to Japan of His Excellency Mr. Costas Simitis,
Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic and Mrs. Simitis
(Result and Preliminary Evaluation of the Visit)
March 8, 2002
His Excellency Mr. Costas Simitis, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic paid an Official Visit to Japan from March 3 to 8, 2002. The following is the result and preliminary evaluation of the visit.
1. Result
(1) Japan-Greece Summit Meeting (4 March)
- Overall
Japan-Greece Relations
Both sides seized the opportunity of the first-ever official visit by Prime Minister Simitis, following the January 2001 visit by then-Prime Minister of Japan Yoshiro Mori to Greece, and shared the understanding that they would build a more substantial bilateral relationship in politics, economy and culture.
Both sides also agreed that Greece, which will assume the Presidency of the European Union (EU) in the first half of 2003, and Japan would make efforts to strengthen Japan-EU cooperation as partners in Japan-EU cooperation.
In such a recognition, the Prime Minister of Japan Junichiro Koizumi and Prime Minister Simitis signed the Japan-Greece Joint Action Plan, which specifies concrete plans of cooperation between Japan and Greece in the future.
- Situation in the Balkans
Prime Minister Koizumi remarked that Japan would like to contribute to stability in the Balkans through cooperation with Greece, which plays a leadership role in the region. Prime Minister Simitis responded that the cooperation between the two countries is necessary for stability in the Balkans. - United Nations Security Council
Prime Minister Simitis stated that the United Nations Security Council reform is necessary and expressed Greece's support for Japan to become a permanent member of the Security Council. (These points are also included in the Joint Action Plan.) - Cultural
Cooperation
The two Prime Ministers agreed to study ways to strengthen cultural exchange, in particular the dissemination of Japanese language study in Greece and Modern Greek language study in Japan.
(2) Other Parts of the Itinerary
On 4 March, Prime Minister and Mrs. Simitis were received in audience by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan. On the same day, Prime Minister Simitis had a meeting with H.E. Dr. Yutaka Inoue, the President of the House of Councilors and met with former Prime Minister Mori. Prime Minister Simitis' schedule included a luncheon hosted by economic organizations on 5 March and a visit to Kyoto on 6 and 7 March.
2. Preliminary Evaluation
(1) Establishment of a more substantial bilateral relationship as partners in Japan-EU cooperation
Seizing the occasion, marked by the first ever mutual visits of Prime Ministers of the two countries in the over 100-year history of Japanese-Greece relations, the two leaders agreed to work together to establish a more substantial bilateral relationship as partners in Japan-EU cooperation. This move is also significant from the standpoint that it will contribute to widening and deepening Japan-EU cooperation.
(2) Economic Cooperation
The Joint Action Plan calls for Japan and Greece to work together towards establishing a bilateral framework for economic cooperation in order to promote two-way trade and investment. The Greek side also expressed in the Joint Action Plan its intention to dispatch a follow-up mission to the next tourism promotion conference, which will be held in 2002 in Tokyo.
(3) Cooperation on Global Issues
Both sides confirmed their intention to cooperate on Balkan issues. The Greek side clearly expressed its support for Japan to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in the Joint Action Plan.
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