Toespraak van minister Reynders tijdens de openingsceremonie voor de..


Datum: 19 januari 2016

Toespraak van vicepremier en minister van Buitenlandse Zaken Didier Reynders tijdens de openingsceremonie voor de viering van 150 jaar bilaterale betrekkingen tussen Belgie en Japan, Egmontpaleis Brussel

150 years of diplomatic relations between Belgium and Japan

Dear Minister Muto,
Dear Mr. Van Rompuy,
Dear Professor,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is for me a great honour to welcome you all here at the Egmont Palace and celebrate with you the commemoration year of 150 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Belgium. In Tokyo last month, Minister Muto and Secretary General Achten launched the start of the festivities for the
commemoration year in Japan.

This year will be marked by numerous initiatives in the political, economic, cultural and social sphere. Both HM the Emperor, on the Japanese side, and HM the King, on the Belgian side, have bestowed their high patronage to the organization of this commemorative year. We all feel honoured and
privileged that the Imperial Family of Japan and the Royal Family in Belgium maintain such deep and cordial relations.

150 years ago - in December 1865 - a Belgian diplomat, Auguste t'Kint de Roodenbeke, first set foot on Japanese soil and a year later a first treaty was signed, entitled "Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation". This was remarkable for a small and young country as Belgium, that realized very
soon that good relations with Japan were necessary in order to develop itself and to be a player in the international community.

But it was also remarkable for Japan, since this treaty was signed in 1866, nearly two years before the Meiji restauration. Belgium was the 9th country to sign such a treaty. Many other countries - both European and non-European - followed, and Japan was again open to strong international
relations.

Since then, many companies and individuals have moved between our two countries and prospered.

Over all these years, there is one remarkable investment I would like to single out. The first ever overseas production facility of Japan, was established in Belgium - indeed it is the Honda factory in the nearby town of Aalst, in 1962.

Later on, many more Japanese companies have discovered that Belgium is an extraordinary place to invest and that Belgium can be used as a strategic hub to service the EU and beyond.

Japan has today some 300 commercial representations in Belgium and Japanese investments are of major importance to both economies. Aside from EU countries, Japan is the second largest investor in Belgium, just after the US. Belgium is the third most attractive country for Japan in the EU,
after the Netherlands and the UK. This makes Belgium truly an important and favorite investment destination for Japan.

But also in Japan, Belgian products and services are doing very well and are very popular. The Japanese customer appreciates not only the high quality of the products, but also of the service that our companies are able to provide. You are all familiar with our beers, our chocolates and
diamonds, but our nano-technology, our chemicals and our pharmaceuticals are equally labelled as top quality products in Japan.

Our commemoration programme of 150 years of bilateral diplomatic relations will look back on our common history, but it is equally important, perhaps even more important, to look forward to the future of our relations. Both Japan and Belgium feel the need to continue working together, to
broaden and to deepen our relationship.

Why? Because we need each other and we have attractive opportunities to offer to each other.

Our world is undergoing rapid changes on a major scale. Fast communication and new actors are generating a whole new world. And unfortunately not necessary a safer world. The recent nuclear test in North-Korea, in violation of several UN Resolutions, and the terrorist attacks that shocked
Europe in the recent months are just a few examples of threats to our security which need our full attention.

In the past year Belgium too has been confronted with the fact that terrorism is a global threat that affects every country in the world. We must realize that fighting terrorism is complicated and that terrorist attacks can occur again in the future. But Belgium has been quick to take up its
responsibilities and will continue to do so with firmness and determination. My Government realizes that the international institutions established in Brussels and the huge diplomatic community that is operating here must be able to count on Belgium to provide them the highest level of
security. The list of security measures decided by the Belgian government is therefore impressive. We can also count on the vigilance of our law enforcement institutions and the assistance of numerous countries to guarantuee the best possible security situation for the population and for the
many guests from abroad who visit Brussels and Belgium.

In order to deal with global challenges such as terrorism, massive migration, poverty and underdevelopment we need coordinated responses by all countries, and not only by like-minded countries. But it is like-minded countries like Japan and Belgium which will have to bring all countries to the
table in order to work out solutions.

How can Japan and Belgium contribute to these solutions?

First, we have to continue forging strong cooperation at the regional and multilateral level. In the UN, in the WTO, in the IAEA, ... in all theatres of multilateral cooperation Japan and Belgium have to strive for enhanced cooperation. It is in this spirit that Belgium, as a founding member
of the EU, is negotiating the Strategic Partnership Agreement and Free Trade Agreement with Japan. We strongly believe that solid alliances in trade between the United States, Europe and Japan are essential. We hope we can conclude a comprehensive agreement in this area in the course of this
year.

At the bilateral level too, Japan and Belgium need to extend their collaboration.

Regular consultations on political and economic issues are a vital tool for forging partnerships. They allow us to evaluate our investment programs and reflect on and assess possible cooperation in areas such as defense or collaboration in Africa. This special anniversary year is an excellent
opportunity to give new impetus to such efforts.

And this brings me to the immediate future of our cooperation. The 150 Years celebration will bring our two countries closer together. From cultural events such as concerts and exhibitions to academic cooperation, it is all there. In Belgium, Japan will feature prominently at the Ghent
Floralies and the Brussels Flower Carpet, as well as in music and theatre festivals all over Belgium. The Japan External Trade Organisation is to hold a major investment seminar. Sister Cities are planning to give that extra boost to their partnerships and exciting new forms of academic
cooperation are developed. In Japan, we are proposing a vast cultural programme with major exhibitions such as the Alechinsky show in the Bunkamura museum and many jazz and classical music concerts.

I am particularly grateful that ANA decided last year to launch non-stop flights between Tokyo and Brussels and thus facilitate travel between our two countries. It will certainly benefit Japanese tourists who wish to visit Belgium and Belgium tourists who visit Japan. It will also help our
professionals visitors, including those who wish to attend certain events pertaining to the 150 Years celebration.

Finally, on top of all these activities, high-level visits of Belgian dignitaries to Japan and of Japanese dignitaries such as Prime Minister Abe to Belgium will crown a very rich year of exchanges.

I call upon you all to keep working together in order to strengthen the relations between our two countries.

Thank you so much.