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Diplomatic Relations

Japan-Canada Summit Meeting (Summary)

Sunday, March 25, 2012

On Sunday, March 25, Prime Minister Noda held a summit meeting with and hosted a working lunch for the Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada for approximately 90 minutes from 11:30 A.M. (JST) during his working visit to Japan. The outline of the meeting is as follows: (Koichiro Gemba, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Yukio Edano, Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry; .Hiroyuki Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Akihisa Nagashima, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, etc. joined from the Japanese side;  the Hon. Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation; the Hon. John Baird, Foreign Minister; the Hon. Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food; and the Hon. Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, etc. joined from the Canadian side.)

  1. Prime Minister Noda welcomed Prime Minister Harper to Japan and extended his gratitude for the support received from Canada in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the statements made by Governor General David Johnston as well as Prime Minister Harper on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the earthquake. In response, Prime Minister Harper once again expressed his condolences and remarked that he would visit the disaster-affected area on March 26, the following day.

  2. Both leaders shared the view that they would launch bilateral EPA negotiations. They also had an exchange of views on the current state of consultations with the countries concerned toward participating in the TPP negotiations.

  3. Prime Minister Noda stated that the interest in the expansion of natural gas imports from Canada was rising. The leaders concurred to take further steps between the two governments to facilitate cooperation between the private sectors in the fields of energy and mineral resources including natural gas.

  4. Both leaders confirmed the progress of cooperation in the field of security between the two countries and plans to accelerate negotiations for the Japan-Canada Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA).

  5. Prime Minister Noda stated that a missile launch planned by North Korea would be a clear violation of United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolutions and also stated that Japan hoped to coordinate with the international community, including Canada, to urge North Korea's restraint. He also expressed gratitude for Canada's understanding of efforts toward the resolution of the abduction issue, and requested Canada's continued cooperation. Prime Minister Harper agreed with Prime Minister Noda.

  6. Regarding the Iranian nuclear issue, both leaders shared the concerns of international society, had an exchange of opinions on current views of this issue, and confirmed that they would continue to work on the matter.

  7. The two leaders released the Canada-Japan Joint Announcement of Outcomes, including with regard to youth exchanges and science and technology cooperation.

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