Japan-EU Summit to be held in Tokyo on July 23, with national security and economy as key topics; Japan and US still hope to reach an agreement

According to AFP, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday (July 18) that Japan and the EU will hold a summit in Tokyo on the 23rd of this month, with President von der Leyen of the European Commission expected to attend. The two sides plan to discuss issues such as national security and economy.

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Prime Minister Ishiba will meet with von der Leyen and President Costa of the European Council on the 23rd in Tokyo, and the three will discuss issues such as national security and economy.

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that this meeting is an opportunity to enhance relations between Japan and the EU, and that the EU is a "key strategic partner for Japan to jointly address challenges facing the international community."

As reported by the Nikkei on Thursday, Japan and the EU will issue a joint statement at the summit, announcing the launch of a new "Economic 2+2 Dialogue".

The report mentioned that under the new 2+2 dialogue, Japan and the EU will explore public-private cooperation programs, seeking ways to reduce dependence on China in the procurement of rare earths.

AFP continued to quote the Nikkei news that the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Minister for Foreign Affairs have already met with Commissioner Seferovic of the EU responsible for trade affairs, and Commissioner Sajous will also join the new 2+2 dialogue.

In addition, von der Leyen and Costa are expected to visit China after their visit to Japan.

US Treasury Secretary: US-Japan May Still Reach a Trade Agreement

On the same Friday, Prime Minister Ishiba met with US Treasury Secretary Bowman in Tokyo for about half an hour, stating that "to reach a consensus that benefits both sides, we will continue to work hard on negotiations regarding US tariff measures."

Afterwards, Bowman said on social media: "It's more important to achieve a good consensus than to rush to a consensus, and it's still possible for the US and Japan to reach a mutually beneficial trade agreement."

On the other hand, Ishiba said: "There is no definite schedule yet, but there is definitely an opportunity to have a direct conversation with President Trump."

According to sources from the Japanese government, US officials assisting with the tariff negotiations did not accompany the visit to Japan.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1838064064975258/

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