1. “Open Reconstruction” in the Aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake

2. The MDGs Follow-up Meeting

3. The 20th Japan-EU Summit

4. G8 Deauville Summit

5. 2011 OECD Ministerial Council Meeting

6. The Fourth Japan-China-ROK Trilateral Summit Meeting

7. The Third TICAD Ministerial Follow-Up Meeting

8. The Second Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation

4. G8 Deauville Summit

Leaders Confirm Solidarity with Japan, and Discuss Pressing International Issues Including Nuclear Safety and Situations in the Middle East and North Africa

Pictures: ©Cabinet Public Relations Office

The 2011 G8 Summit was held on May 26 and 27 in Deauville, France, chaired by President Sarkozy of the French Republic, where Prime Minister Naoto Kan represented Japan. The Summit touched upon issues such as solidarity with Japan, nuclear safety, climate change, the Internet, development, and peace and security; it issued three declarations: the G8 Declaration, the Declaration of the G8 on the Arab Spring, and the G8/Africa Joint Declaration, which was the first of its kind.

Solidarity with Japan

Prime Minister Kan expressed his deep gratitude for the assistance and friendship extended by the international community, and explained Japan’s determination to bring the accident under control and to achieve reconstruction. He also expressed that Japan would take up four challenges to forge a future path for energy, adding “renewable energy” and “energy-efficiency” as two new pillars to the pillars to date of “nuclear power” and “fossil fuels”. Other G8 leaders renewed their heartfelt sympathy to and solidarity with Japan, paying tribute to the courage and dignity shown by Japanese people amid the difficult situation.

Japan’s Contribution to Primary Discussions

(1) Nuclear Safety

Prime Minister Kan made a five-point proposal to promote the highest levels of nuclear safety worldwide: (a) strengthening of the Safety Standards of the IAEA and promotion of their utilization, (b) expansion of the IAEA’s Operational Safety Review Mission, (c) enhancement of an international support system in times of accidents, (d) strengthening of cooperation among national safety authorities, and (e) ratification of nuclear safety-related conventions. He also announced an initiative to host an international meeting in Japan in the latter half of 2012 in cooperation with the IAEA, taking into account the results of a review of the accident at TEPCO’s Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station. Leaders expressed support for the initiative, and acknowledged that, although each country may have its own approach to the use of nuclear energy, joint efforts are necessary to promote the highest levels of nuclear safety.

(2) Middle East and North Africa

The G8 leaders welcomed the historic changes taking place in the Middle East and North Africa, affirming the G8’s collective support for the efforts. On the second day of the Summit, the leaders of Egypt and Tunisia, both in the process of political transition, were invited to the Summit. The leaders expressed their intention to launch the Deauville Partnership to support the changes and to extend short and medium-long-term assistance together with the IMF, World Bank and regional development banks. Prime Minister Kan, referring to Japan’s contribution to democratization, stability and growth in Southeast Asia, expressed Japan’s intention to contribute to assistance for the region, focusing on (a) fair political process and government, (b) human resource development, and (c) job creation and fostering of industries.

(3) Political Issues

Regarding North Korea, Prime Minister Kan emphasized that North Korea’s uranium enrichment activities constitute a clear violation of the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and the Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks, and that they pose a major challenge to the efforts of the international community to demand North Korea’s dismantlement of its nuclear programs. He stated the Security Council should issue a strong message about the problem. Other G8 leaders expressed views sharing Japan’s concern. Prime Minister Kan also raised Japan’s concern about the human rights situation in North Korea, including the abduction issue. The concern was included in the G8 Summit Declaration.

(4) Dialogue with Africa

The G8 leaders, convinced that it is important to further strengthen partnership between the G8 and Africa, invited the leaders of African countries and exchanged views on challenges facing the region. They shared the recognition that it is important to encourage not only aid but also private-sector investment and trade to achieve self-sustained growth in Africa. Prime Minister Kan expressed Japan’s resolve to continue to implement its comprehensive pledges made at the 4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV), and stated that in an effort to achieve the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Japan would host a follow-up meeting in Tokyo in June 2011. He also pointed out that, building on Japan’s experience with the ASEAN countries, the key to economic growth lies in the enhancement of intra-regional trade and the improvement of connectivity through developing wide-area infrastructure.