Countries & Regions
Summit Meeting and Dinner between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Enda Kenny, Prime Minister of Ireland
On December 2, for approximately 45 minutes from 6 p.m., Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held talks with Mr. Enda Kenny, T.D., Taoiseach (Prime Minister of Ireland), who was on a working visit to Japan. The two leaders had dinner for approximately an hour from 7:10 p.m. An overview of events follows:
1. Initial Remarks
(1) Prime Minister Abe said he was pleased to meet Taoiseach again after having paid the first-ever visit to Ireland by an incumbent Japanese prime minister in June this year. He said he would like to take the opportunity to develop a better common understanding with Taoiseach on a number of issues based on progress made since their previous meeting.
(2) In response, Mr. Kenny expressed his gratitude for the invitation of the Japanese government. He said he had a deep respect for the remarkable reconstruction achieved by Japan since the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011. The aim of the visit was to strengthen bilateral relations, primarily through trade and investment, and meaningful discussions had already been held with many Japanese officials, he said. Taoiseach congratulated Prime Minister Abe on Tokyo's successful bid to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and wished Japan success in staging the sporting events.
2. Bilateral Relations
(1) Prime Minister Abe made the following remarks:
a. Japan welcomes Ireland's impending exit from the assistance program of the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on December 15. There is deep respect for the leadership of Mr. Kenny and the patience of the people of Ireland.
b. Ireland is strong in areas such as information technology (IT), agriculture and life science, which are also priority areas for Japan's economic growth strategy. There is great potential for cooperation between the two countries to facilitate innovation in these areas.
c. Japan today lifted its import ban on Irish beef and beef offal from cattle aged up to 30 months, after accelerating the consultation with Irish authorities following a strong request from Taoiseach during the previous summit meeting in Ireland.
(2) Mr. Kenny said he believes the two countries will be able to achieve a great deal through bilateral cooperation in the areas referred to by Prime Minister Abe. Taoiseach expressed gratitude to the Japanese government for listening seriously to his request regarding Irish beef imports and said the latest decision by Japan was a testament to its confidence in Irish beef, adding that he was glad his visit had produced such an important result.
3. Japan-EU Relations
(1) Prime Minister Abe said he has high hopes for the role to be played by Ireland, which has consistently been a driving force for free trade, to achieve a comprehensive and high-level economic partnership agreement (EPA) between Japan and the EU that would serve as a model for the world, including emerging economies. He also said Japan would like to work closely with the EU in the political and security fields, including on the issue of Iran's nuclear development.
(2) Mr. Kenny said Ireland has achieved development on the basis of free trade, as pointed out by Prime Minister Abe, and strongly supports efforts toward an EPA between Japan and the EU. A strong Japanese economy is essential for the world economy and, from this viewpoint, Ireland hopes to see further progress in bilateral EPA negotiations and to work with Japan, he said.
4. Security, Regional Issues
(1) Prime Minister Abe made the following remarks:
a. Based on the policy of "proactive contribution to peace," Japan hopes to promote cooperation with Ireland, a standard bearer of peace diplomacy, for the sake of peace and stability in the international community.
b. As the only nation in the world to have suffered wartime nuclear attacks, Japan gives priority to disarmament and nonproliferation and hopes to work with Ireland, which has a strong voice in those areas.
c. Japan is concerned over China's announcement late last month of the establishment of the "East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone," from the standpoint of maintaining order in international aviation and ensuring safety.
d. An uncompromising message urging North Korea to take concrete steps toward denuclearization and other goals needs to be sent out continually. Also, Japan hopes for cooperation from Ireland to resolve the abduction issue.
(2) In response, Taoiseach said Ireland has been actively involved in U.N. peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance activities while maintaining its policy of neutrality. From this standpoint, Ireland welcomes Prime Minister Abe's policy of proactive contribution to peace and hopes to work closely with Japan, the only nation that has ever suffered atomic bombing, in education on disarmament and nonproliferation.
(3) The two leaders agreed that the legitimate use of oceans and airspace is enshrined in international law, any unilateral actions that could increase tensions should be avoided, and coercive behavior needs to be renounced and issues resolved through peaceful, diplomatic and cooperative means based on the principle of the rule of law.
5. The dinner after the summit meeting was joined by individuals connected with Ireland, including Mr. Hakubun Shimomura, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, who visited Ireland in May this year; and Mr. Yuji Yamamoto, member of House of Representatives, Chairman of the Japan-Ireland Parliamentary Friendship League. In a relaxed atmosphere, participants exchanged views on the state of the two countries' economies, the literature and music of Ireland, and bilateral exchanges in education and sports.