EU, Japan to strengthen bilateral relations: officials

The European Union and Japan here on Friday agreed to promote bilateral relations through political dialogues to a new level of comprehensive cooperation in the fields of freedom and democracy, free trade, energy, human rights and other common values.

The two sides reached the agreement in a minister-level meeting between European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura, who are here to attend the two-day Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) 7th Foreign Ministers' Meeting to be inaugurated Friday evening.

Ferrero-Waldner said at a press conference after the meeting that EU and Japan will chart joint contributions to the solution of Asian and global issues and strengthening of the Europe-Japan partnership.

Since EU-Japan declaration was signed in 1991, the two sides have honored its spirit by holding annual summits as well as engaging in dialogue and cooperation in a wide variety of fields

on a broad range of levels, Ferrero-Waldner noted. "The bilateral relation between Japan and EU are being at a smooth time it has never been."

She urged both sides to work together to strengthen the multilateral system and to ensure that the WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong in December 2005 will achieve a meaningful and balanced result through producing detailed modalities and commitments on all issues under negotiation in the Doha Development Agenda.

Machimura echoed Ferrero-Waldner's opinion on recent EU-Japan relations. He said at a separate press conference that thanks to efforts on both sides, especially with 14th summit on May 2 in Luxembourg, relations between Japan and the EU have become friendly,

He reiterated continued efforts are needed to further develop relations and strengthen cooperation between Japan and EU in the future.

Source: Xinhua