COVID-19 has highlighted again the negative impact of the US-China rivalry on the ability of the international community to tackle global threats. In this context, Japan and the EU need to cooperate more than ever to avoid the emergence of a bipolar world and promote their shared vision of a multilateral order based on International Law. This is especially the case in the Indo-Pacific which will be the focal point of this renewed great powers competition and where both Japan and the EU, two international actors which are highly dependent on external trade, but with limited hard power, share the same interest for free and open maritime trade, peace and stability. Nevertheless, cooperation EU-Japan on this area is still far from reaching its full potential and most EU member states have not analysed systematically the implications of the developments in the Indo-Pacific region on their own prosperity and security. The goal of this webinar is to present common ground for cooperation between the EU and Japan in that region and to articulate some proposals that could inspire eventual Indo-Pacific strategies for the EU and/or for some of its members states which do not have one yet, such as Spain.
Participants:
- José Juan Ruiz, Chairman of the Elcano Royal Institute. (@ElcanoJjRuiz)
- Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan in Spain. (@JapanEmb_Spain)
- Mario Esteban, Senior Analyst, Elcano Royal Institute. (@wizma9)
- Josep Piqué, Former Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, President of Fundación Consejo España-Japón. (@joseppiquecamps).
- Izumi Ohno, Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. (@GRIPS_Info)
- Céline Pajon, Head of Japan Research, French Institute for International Relations (IFRI) and Senior Researcher, Japan Program, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). (@CelinePajon)
- Yuichi Hosoya, Professor, Keio University; Senior Fellow, Nakasone Peace Institute. (@Yuichi_Hosoya)
- Luis Simón, Director Brussels Office, Elcano Royal Institute. (@LuisSimn)
- Ken Jimbo, Professor, Keio University. (@KeioGlobal)
- Eva Pejsova, Senior Japan Fellow, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). (@EPejsova)
- Gudrun Wacker, Senior Fellow, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). (@GudrunWacker)
- Fidel Sendagorta, Director General of Foreign and Security Policy, Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. (@yiuqodrag)
Related publication: “Europe and the Indo-Pacific: comparing France, Germany and the Netherlands“, Gudrun Wacker.
Tuesday, 9th March 2021, from 09:30 to 13:00 h. CET (UTC+1)