Contributed Article by Prime Minister Ishiba to the El Comercio - “The Bond of Unity between Japan and Peru across the Pacific: Toward the Future”

I am delighted to be able to make my first official visit to Peru on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting which will be held in Lima on November 15 and 16, 2024. APEC was established in 1989. Today, the Asia-Pacific region is “the world’s growth center,” accounting for about 40% of the world’s population, about 50% of trade volume, and about 60% of gross domestic product (GDP). Keeping pace with the development of the region, Japan has promoted trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific and has engaged in various economic and technical cooperation for sustainable growth and prosperity.

Peru was the first country in Latin America and the Caribbean with which Japan established diplomatic relations, and Japan-Peru relations celebrated their 150th anniversary last year. Peru was also a strong supporter of Japan when it regained its independence following World War II and returned to the international community. Enjoying this longstanding friendship, Japan and Peru are today “Strategic Partners” sharing values and principles, and are also important partners in the economic and investment areas. During this visit, President Boluarte and I will adopt a roadmap for a wide range of future cooperation to further develop our bilateral relationship.

Peru is home to a Nikkei (Japanese immigrants and their descendants) community estimated at approximately 200,000, the third largest outside of Japan, and this year marks the 125th anniversary of the first Japanese immigration to Peru. I am grateful that Peruvian society has welcomed Japanese immigrants inclusively and has walked hand in hand with the Nikkei community for 125 years. As expressed in the phrase “Orgullosamente peruano, soy nikkei” (I am a proud Peruvian, and I am also Nikkei), the Nikkei people have made significant contributions to the development of Peruvian society as its members and have served as a bridge between Japan and Peru, which brings me great joy. Through this visit, I would like to confirm the further strengthening of Japan’s collaboration with the Nikkei community, and through such personal bonds, deepen the ties between our two countries.

Japan and Peru are also like-minded countries, with both making efforts to maintain and expand a rules-based free and fair economic order in the Asia-Pacific region. The two countries have consistently supported the rules-based multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core, and have made efforts to advance discussions on regional economic integration through APEC’s agenda for the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). In addition, the two have joined not only the bilateral economic partnership agreement, but also the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

We are living in an era of significant change. Divisions and confrontations are eroding the internal and external affairs of various countries. Geopolitical risks, including the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, are undermining the international order based on the rule of law, which is the foundation of growth in the Asia-Pacific region. In this context, it is extremely timely that Peru, this year’s APEC chair, has selected the three themes of “Empower,” “Include,” and “Grow.” Japan concurs with Peru’s initiative in holding the first-ever Joint Meeting of the APEC Ministers for Women and Ministers Responsible for Trade this May, and with Peru’s calls for inclusive economic growth. Inclusivity is one of the core principles of the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” vision that Japan is promoting, and deeply resonates with the concept of “human security” that Japan has long advocated for.

Juan de la Fuente Umetsu, a Peruvian Nikkei poet with roots in my home prefecture of Tottori, has written the following poem:
　　It’s terrifying, but resolutely
　　climb the slope from which the world unfolds.
　　Shed your old freedom
　　And embrace this new freedom.

Japan will continue to work in concert with Peru and other like-minded countries to lead the world to cooperation rather than division and confrontation.

Next year, Japan will host Expo 2025 in Osaka in the Kansai region under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” and Peru plans to have a pavilion. I encourage the Peruvian people to come visit and experience the future Japan envisions to create with the world.

Finally, I sincerely hope for the happiness of the people of Peru and that our friendship based on mutual understanding and respect will continue for many years to come.