It launched a decade of Japan-Europe cooperation and agreed to adopt "a new political document based upon the 1991 Declaration" at the 10th Japan-EU summit in 2001. In this regard, it singles out four objectives for a stronger partnership. The first one was "promoting peace and security," which is as follows: "Japan and the EU will enhance political dialogue and co-operation, aiming as far as possible at harmonizing positions and concerted actions which may include, when necessary, joint declarations." It enumerates the areas for cooperation: UN reforms; conflict prevention and resolution; peace-building; arms control and disarmament: non-proliferation; promotion of human fights; democracy and stability; strengthening of regional dialogue, as well as of regional and international organizations.
As for the issues for intensified cooperation until the next summit, the following items have been identified: the Korean Peninsula; East Timor; the Balkans; small arms; biological weapons convention.
With regard to the Balkans, the joint conclusions recorded were: "The two sides co-operate further to provide effective and well coordinated support to the countries in the region, which must be accompanied by their strengthened efforts to promote domestic reform towards democracy and market economies."17
In 2000, Dr. Solana, the High Representative of the EU visited Japan three times. In his speech on 24 October 2000, he pointed out that "Japan has often expressed its recognition of the need for conflict prevention mechanisms and its keen interest in cooperation at international level in developing them, particularly in collaboration with the OSCE. Japan has also highlighted on several occasions the imperative of retaining the UN as the world peacekeeping organization, and equally the need to reform that organization in order to equip it better for the tasks it must accomplish. There are areas which the EU would hope to explore further with Japan with a view to intensifying our cooperation in our bilateral relations. It is certainly an area where we will accomplish more together than singly."18
Conflict prevention and peacekeeping, in particular, non-military crisis management are the areas for cooperation between Japan and the EU. As was agreed in the "G8 Miyazaki Initiatives for Conflict Prevention," an international civil police force is a priority. Because of its self-imposed restriction of dispatching its Self-Defence Forces to combat missions and robust operations, Japan needs to prepare for its contribution to the civilian aspect of crisis management. It has provided soft security to Europe by way of financial contribution. In addition to that, Japan may need to establish a resource list for the OSCE REACT.
Notes
1. Dan Smith, "Sovereignty in the Age of Intervention," Anthony McDermott, ed., Sovereign Intervention, NUPI and PRIO, PRIO Report 2/99, Oslo, 1999, p.14.
2. Section 2 and 3 of this essay are updated version of the papers which were presented at the following international conferences: "Beyond Japan-EU Relations: Cooperation between Japan and non-EU Europe," organized by the Modern Asia Research Centre, Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, June 1999; "The EU's Changing Role in the World and its Partners: towards New Trilateral Relations - EU,Japan and USA," organized by TEPSA, Brussels, December 1999.
3. "Seeking a Millennium Partnership: New Dimensions in Japan-Europe Cooperation," Policy Speech on Japan-Europe Relations by Foreign Minister Yohei Kono at the French Insititute on Foreign Relations in Paris, on Thursday 13 January 2000.
