Malta to ‘lead the way’ in ratifying EU-Japan agreement, PM says

Malta will be leading the way among EU member states to ratify the EU-Japan Partnership Agreement, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said following talks in Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The talks focused on how the two countries will further consolidate their growing economic and trade relations, a Department of Information statement said.

The partnership agreement, Muscat said, will translate into more Japanese products entering EU markets and will also give the opportunity for more Maltese quality products to enter the Japanese domestic market. Muscat said that following the excellent inroads and successes Maltese tuna exports made in Japan, talks with Abe also dwelt on expanding this to other Maltese high quality agricultural products like pork and tomatoes.

Muscat also referred to the increasing number of Japanese students coming to Malta to study English as a foreign language who, following the recent changes in local legislation, will also have the opportunity to work in the island.

Muscat also referred to talks held during his current visit in Tokyo with leading Japanese corporations and said that he looks forward to conclude agreements, which have the full support of the Japanese Prime Minister, leading to more investment, know-how and higher innovation and more areas of collaboration between the two countries. Muscat said that Japan can consider Malta to be a straight talking but honest partner in its dealings with Japan. He described the talks held with Mr Abe as a dialogue between two like-minded partners who share common democratic values, freedom, rule of law and are beacons of economic progress.

The Japanese Prime Minister also highlighted the excellent relations between the two countries. He said that during recent years the number of Japanese tourists visiting Malta more than doubled in number. While welcoming the civil aviation agreement between the two countries, Prime Minister Abe said that economic and commercial relations between the two countries are bound to strengthen following the visit in Tokyo by Prime Minister Muscat who led a trade delegation of Maltese entrepreneurs.

The Japanese Prime Minister also spoke about the close collaboration between the two countries to consolidate maritime rule of law within the context of the International Maritime Law Institute in Malta.

Prime Minister Abe, who visited Malta in May of last year, said that Dr Muscat’s visit to Japan, the second visit by a Maltese Prime Minister during the last 28 years, led to meaningful talks which, coupled with the EU-Japan agreement, will offer more export opportunities to Maltese companies. Prime Minister Abe said that Mr Muscat’s visit to Tokyo can be considered as a spring board to strengthen relations between the two countries.

The Japanese Prime Minister showed his country’s gratitude for the solidarity the Maltese delegation showed towards abducted Japanese nationals and the collaboration with Malta regarding challenges the international community faces on the issue of North Korea. Abe also showed his country’s deep appreciation in Malta’s role during the evacuation of Japanese nationals from Libya during the Libyan crisis.