Press Release: Joint statement by the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, and the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe

The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy and the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, spoke by telephone on 25 March 2013 following the postponement of the 21st Summit between Japan and the European Union (EU).

The leaders decided to launch negotiations for an agreement covering political, global and sectoral cooperation and an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) / Free Trade Agreement (FTA) based on the shared views on the scope and level of ambition arrived at in the scoping exercises. The Leaders affirmed their continued global engagement in enhancing strong, sustainable and balanced growth and securing the financial stability of the world economy. The leaders also exchanged views on bilateral cooperation and regional issues, including the security environment of East Asia, the Middle East and the Sahel. The leaders decided to reschedule the Summit as soon as possible and expressed their expectation that the Summit would give a further political impulse to their cooperation.

European Commission: Rapid: MEMO/13/282: The EU's free trade agreements – where are we? http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-282_en.htm

European Commission: Rapid: MEMO/13/283: A Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Japan http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-283_en.htm

European Commission: Rapid: SPEECH/13/258: Remarks on the launch of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Japan http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-13-258_en.htm

European Commission: Rapid: MEMO/13/267: Joint message by the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Durão Barroso, and the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, on the postponing of the 21st EU-Japan Summit http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-267_en.htm

European Commission: SPEECH/13/256: Challenge and Opportunity: Starting the negotiations for Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Japan http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-13-256_en.htm

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