JBCE会長ご挨拶 

7 June 2022

I assume the role of JBCE’s President as of today.

It is my honour to assume the position of president of JBCE, especially in these times of recovery from the health and economic crisis. During these last two years, the task of the JBCE team under the leadership of Mr. Jackson, has not been easy at all. Still, JBCE has made considerable progress, considering the challenges we face.

JBCE is a leading organization that aims to build and reinforce a new era of cooperation between the EU and Japan, cooperation that has found its highest expression in the 28th EU-Japan Summit. More specifically, it is our goal to enhance Europe’s understanding of Japanese companies and their contribution to the European economy and to promote a favourable and predictable environment in which European and Japanese companies of all sectors can compete for sustainable growth in Europe.

Thus, it is my wish and intention that JBCE continues working to reinforce the legacy of previous presidents, including that of Mr. Jackson, and that relations with our ally - the European Union- continue to be strengthened and developed in the coming years. The new stage that we are now entering must be seen as a period of recovery and adaptation to a new context in which the lessons learnt in recent years are implemented, but in which the clear objectives and principles that have made Japan's relations with the EU grow will continue to prevail.

The EU and Japan have already reaffirmed their shared ambition of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 by the signature of the EU-Japan Green Alliance and it is my objective, as the new president of JBCE, to continue contributing to materializing this agreement.

As my colleague stated, JBCE also welcomes the EU-Japan Digital Partnership: an agreement to take our relations with the European Union forward, from digital technologies, trade and investments, climate action, biodiversity protection, sustainable development as well as security. This historical partnership will be a forum that will give political steer and impetus for joint work on digital technologies in areas such as secure 5G, “Beyond 5G”/6G technologies, safe and ethical applications of artificial intelligence, or the resilience of global supply chains in the semiconductor industry.

Therefore, I think we can all agree that a challenging, as well as highly rewarding job, awaits me. But I am sure that I will be successful thanks to the magnificent JBCE team. A team that I am confident will continue to do an outstanding job.

As we all know, in the current context it is particularly important to continue working to consolidate and solidify relations with like-minded partners, partners who share the principles and pillars that will cement future relations towards even more mutually beneficial trade relations. As President of JBCE for the next two years, I am committed to continuing working to strengthen EU-Japan relations and to continue working to achieve the goals of trade, sustainability, digital, and shared values.

Alistair Dormer
President of JBCE

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