Japan premier seeks EU’s help to grab Security Council seat

By Andrew Beatty

Date: 28/04/05

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will travel to Europe next week seeking to gather support for his country's bid to become a permanent member of the United Nations' Security Council.

On Monday (2 May) Koizumi will meet with representatives from the European Commission, Council of Ministers and EU presidency in Luxembourg for the regular EU-Japan summit.

It will be the first ever visit to the Grand Duchy by a Japanese prime minister.

Before arriving in Europe, Koizumi will visit India, where he also hopes to garner support for the UN bid.

Despite vocal Chinese opposition, India, a fellow Security Council hopeful, has agreed to back Japan's application in return for Japan's support for its own UN bid.

But despite much common ground between the EU and Japan on issues such as development aid, multilateralism and the rule of law, some observers say that the EU could still be reluctant to support Japan's bid.

According to Willem van der Geest, the director of the Brussels-based European Institute for Asian Studies, Japan's increasingly close relationship with Washington could affect EU thinking.

"As long as Japan takes a completely US line, I don't see any interest from the EU side in Japan being a member of the Security Council," he said.

With tensions rising in East Asia, Japan recently sought to align itself further with Washington.

A high-profile supporter of the war in Iraq, Tokyo recently sought to close any gap between itself and the US over support for Taiwan.

But with Germany itself bidding to become a Security Council member and Italy actively campaigning against Germany's membership, the EU is unlikely to be able to hold a common line.

Aside from support for a seat at the Security Council, Koizumi is also likely to press for the EU not to lift its arms embargo against China.

Preview of a visit of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to Europe on 2 May 2005, where he was to meet with representatives from the European Commission, Council of Ministers and the EU Presidency in Luxembourg for the regular EU-Japan summit. Article reports that the Prime Minister was seeking to gather support for his country's bid to become a permanent member of the United Nations' Security Council.

EEAS: Countries: Japan http://eeas.europa.eu/japan/index_en.htm

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