JAPAN and the WORLD Magazine OCTOBER ISSUE 2015 #Issue 13

FRANCOPHONIE BELGIUM What are the main challenges to overcome to deepen those business opportunities? The challenges are manifold. Both Belgium and Japan are mature economies, where production costs are high, so investors are rather interested in cutting-edge technologies, or industries such as life sciences where knowledge is paramount. In Japan, Belgium is known for its high quality food products such as beer and chocolate but they actually represent only a small amount of our trade volume with Japan. Belgium and Japan share a strong belief in economic growth, as well as in a strong welfare system for their citizens. Our economies are interlinked. The business environment in Belgium for the bio-industry is excellent: the workforce is multilingual and qualified, the government has many incentives for R&D, universities and hospitals are top-notch. Other key sectors for us are nanotechnology and applied research, in which we are pleased to see more and more collaboration and partnerships opportunities developing over the past few years. Although they are of a very different scale, Japanese businesses can learn from Belgian companies how to internationalize. Belgium and Japan share a strong belief in economic growth, as well as in a strong Meeting of Prime Minister, Mr. Charles Michel, and Minister of Economy, Mr. Kris Peeters with the President of Nippon Shokubai, Mr. Masanori Ikeda. welfare system for their citizens. Our economies are interlinked. That is why both countries are keen to welcome foreign investments, as they contribute to economic growth. In 2015, Belgium organized an investment seminar in Tokyo, where Prime Minister Michel and Vice Prime Minister Peeters gave the key- note speech. In 2016, Prime Minister Abe will promote Japan as a destination country for investments in Brussels, home city of the key European Union institutions. In 2016, Belgium and Japan will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic and friendship relations in the year 1866. How is Belgium going to celebrate this important event? Belgium was only the 9th country to sign a treaty with Japan after it opened up to the world in the mid-nineteenth century. This was even before the Meiji revolution, and it was quite an achievement for the small and young Belgium. Only 36 years independent and trying to take part in the first wave of globalization of that period. Since then, except for the short and sad parenthesis of World War II, Belgium and Japan have maintained excellent relations, bolstered also by the personal relations between the two reigning families. Belgium was on the itinerary of the first visit abroad of a member of the Imperial family, the future Showa Emperor, in 1921, and again of his first tour abroad as Emperor in 1971; the contacts between them have been numerous and always very warm. Next year, we will therefore celebrate a century JAPAN AND THE WORLD MAGAZINE and a half of friendship between Belgium and Japan. The program is still being finalized, but I can already say that the celebrations will involve some high-level visits on both sides, as well as a number of cultural events throughout the year in both countries. Watch for the logo of the 150th anniversary in 2016! 2015年5月13日、安倍晋三内閣総理大臣は、ベルギー王国のシャルル・ミシェル首相と首脳会談を行いました。会談の中で、日本EU経済連携協定も議題に挙がりましたが、協定の現状についてもう少し詳しくお話しいただけますか？交渉は進んでいます。日本側が年内の大筋合意を目指す方針を示したので、来月以降、交渉の加速も予想されますが、慌ただしく進めていくことはないでしょう。EUは意欲的な協定を目標としており、ベルギーは日本との経済連携強化を期待しています。今年5月に安倍総理とミシェル首相との間で行われた日本・ベルギー首脳会談では、改めてミシェル首相から意欲的かつ均衡のとれたFTAの早期締結をベルギーが期待している旨を強調しました。在ベルギー企業はこの協定によって確実に恩恵を被るため、日本EU経済連携協定が二国間貿易の実施に向けての新たな弾みとなることを望んでいます。日本EU経済連携協定は、技術的障害や非関税障害を解決する糸口となるはずです。両国の経済圏において双方に有益なものです。同会談の中で安倍晋三総理は、昨年7月にベルギーのリエージュで行われたFLMFに多くの日本の若者が参加したことに言及しました。OIF（フランコフォニー国際機構）においてベルギーが OCTOBER 2015 // 40

JAPAN and the WORLD Magazine OCTOBER ISSUE 2015 #Issue 13 | Page 41