EU leader aims to elevate ties with Japan to 'new level' at summit
Costa said in an interview with Kyodo News that the EU and Japan will "continue to work together, standing up for the international rules-based order and free and fair trade," amid concerns over high U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump.
Costa, who assumed his post in December, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are set to hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo on Wednesday after visiting the World Exposition in Osaka in western Japan, where the interview was held.
At the meeting, the leaders are expected to announce the creation of a "Japan-EU Competitiveness Alliance" to bolster their industries by advancing trade and economic security cooperation, according to diplomatic sources.
Costa said that the new partnership will be "the most important deliverable" from the summit, and that the EU and Japan must work not only to tackle their common challenges but also pursue "the profit of our synergy, of our cooperation."
"Japan is our closest partner in the Pacific," Costa said, adding that he will discuss with Ishiba the possibility of the 27-member bloc's cooperation regarding a vast trans-Pacific free trade agreement that involves Japan, Britain and 10 other nations.
On the defense front, Costa emphasized that the EU will ramp up collaboration with Japan to make both Europe and the Asian nation "better equipped."
He added that security in the Pacific and Europe is "interlinked," referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. North Korean troops have been sent to support Moscow's war efforts.
After staying in Japan, Costa and von der Leyen are scheduled to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday.
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