Japan, EU discuss cooperation to maintain free trade

The meeting was attended by Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and trade minister Yoji Muto, as well as Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission's commissioner for trade and economic security.

Iwaya said that cooperation between Japan and the EU is becoming increasingly important in light of the current difficult international situation.

Muto expressed his eagerness to strengthen cooperation between the two sides, saying that they are important partners who share basic values at a time when protectionist moves are seen around the world.

Sefcovic emphasized that the EU and Japan share the ideas of trade based on law, transparency, predictability, and respect for agreements.

It was the sixth Japan-EU High-Level Economic Dialogue meeting since the framework was launched in 2018. The previous meeting was held in Paris in May last year.

In addition to free trade, economic security was on the agenda of the latest meeting.