Anonymous ID: fd0669 April 23, 2019, 7:49 a.m. No.6284271   🗄️.is đź”—kun   >>4645 >>4776

Abe and Macron to seek closer coordination on global issues; PM offers 'unwavering support' for Notre Dame

 

PARIS - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday asked French President Emmanuel Macron for closer bilateral coordination in addressing trade and other global issues before Japan hosts the Group of 20 summit in June.

 

During a joint press appearance ahead of their talks, Abe also offered Japan’s “unwavering support” for reconstructing Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris after last week’s fire partially destroyed the World Heritage structure.

 

Abe chose France, which holds this year’s presidency of the Group of Seven industrialized nations, as the first stop of his six-nation European and North American trip.

 

He hopes to rally support for a successful G20 summit in Osaka as Japan aims to demonstrate joint efforts toward fostering economic growth, tackling marine plastic debris and drawing up rules for the use of big data.

 

“I hope that the G20 will send out a strong message that we will be united” to promote free trade and tackle global issues such as climate change.

 

Macron said he will visit Japan to attend the G20 summit, his first trip to the country after taking office.

 

The Japanese and French leaders were expected to discuss cooperation in coping with regional issues such as North Korea’s denuclearization.

 

Japan and France have been deepening bilateral ties in recent years, particularly in the field of maritime security amid China’s growing clout.

 

Macron said France wants to explore more specific industrial and security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

 

As France has island territories in the Pacific such as New Caledonia, Japanese government officials say Tokyo and Paris share the need to achieve a free and open Indo-Pacific region based on the freedom of navigation and the rule of law.

 

The summit comes as Japanese investigators have detained Carlos Ghosn, a former boss of France’s Renault SA and its Yokohama-based partner Nissan Motor Co., following his arrest for alleged financial misconduct at Nissan.

 

The two leaders did not mention the situation surrounding Ghosn or the future of the alliance between the carmakers at the press appearance.

 

It is not immediately known whether Abe and Macron exchanged views on Ghosn’s arrest or the future of the Nissan-Renault alliance during talks.

 

The talks come amid media reports that Nissan has rejected Renault’s fresh proposal earlier this month on their merger, which apparently reflects the desire of the French government, Renault’s biggest shareholder.

 

Renault, the largest stakeholder in Nissan, is seeking to further solidify their partnership. But some executives of Nissan, which has a 15 percent stake in the French peer without voting rights, view the partnership balance as unfair, according to people familiar with the matter.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/04/23/national/politics-diplomacy/abe-macron-seek-closer-coordination-global-issues-pm-offers-unwavering-support-notre-dame/