EU & Japan Launch 'Competitiveness Alliance' to Defend Free Trade
The European Union (EU) and Japan have joined forces to bolster their economic cooperation and defend free trade. At a summit in Tokyo, attended by top leaders from both sides, they launched a new strategic partnership, dubbed the 'competitiveness alliance'.
The alliance will focus on several key areas. Firstly, it aims to enhance resilience in critical supply chains, ensuring the stability of essential goods and services. Secondly, it will promote joint work on advanced technologies, fostering innovation and competitiveness. Lastly, it will involve strategic coordination on external threats, strengthening mutual security.
The EU and Japan have also committed to upholding and strengthening a rules-based, free, and fair economic order, with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core. They will work together to counter economic coercion and address unfair trade practices.
The partnership will serve as a platform to reinforce democratic principles and international legal norms, particularly in an increasingly fragmented international environment. The EU, seeking greater alignment with like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific region, sees Japan playing a pivotal role in its strategy.
The leadership of the official negotiations to initiate an information security agreement between the EU and Japan has been taken over by the European Commission. Key figures involved include Marco Chirullo from the European Commission and Nikolaus Boltze, President of the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation. The two sides will also initiate a dialogue on defence industry cooperation and commence negotiations on a bilateral information security agreement.
The EU and Japan's new strategic partnership, the competitiveness alliance, signals a deepening of their economic cooperation and a shared commitment to defend free trade and uphold international norms. As the EU seeks to align with like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific, Japan's role in this alliance is set to become increasingly significant.
