On the occasion of the British Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to Japan this week, the governments of the UK and Japan have issued a Joint Statement setting out the terms and ambitions of the future relationship between the two:
As the Prime Ministers of Japan and the UK, we are committed to promoting global prosperity and security, based on the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the market economy. We also have a shared responsibility to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. We reconfirm the distinctive importance of the leading strategic partnership that exists between the UK and Japan. Japan and the UK are each other’s most important partners in Asia and Europe, respectively.
We commend the resilience of the Japanese people after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 11 March 2011 and subsequent nuclear accident. The strength demonstrated by the people of Japan in the face of such hardship gives both leaders confidence in Japan’s renewal through reconstruction, and that Japan will continue to contribute as strongly as ever to international prosperity and security. Japan appreciates the support and solidarity extended by the British people, companies and Government in recovering from the tragic events. The UK appreciates Japan’s hosting of the High-Level International Conference on Large-Scale Natural Disasters in July in the disaster-stricken Tohoku area.
Recognising the importance of ties among the people of both countries, we reaffirm the valuable contribution which the JET programme and the Youth Mobility Scheme have been making to our bilateral relationship. We will cooperate to increase the number of students going in both directions through such schemes as a new one managed by the British Council, which will enhance research collaboration, mobility and skills among universities in the UK and Japan. We renew our support for “the Japan-UK 21st Century Group,” an important annual forum consisting of prominent people in a range of fields.
We hope that the London Olympic and Paralympic Games will be a great success, serving as an excellent opportunity to further deepen the bonds between Japan and the UK. Hosting the Olympics is an opportunity to realise sporting hopes and dreams and the UK wishes Tokyo well in its bid to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
You can read the statement in full here (Prime Minister of Japan website).
