Shared Goals, Different Perspectives

The EU and Japan have dedicated to the goal of sustainable and inclusive growth. At the same time, their manners to pursue the goal have been contrasting, particularly in the field of development cooperation. This unique situation provides the EU-Japan Partnership with enormous opportunities, because attacking the summit through diverse routes can lead to a better chance of success.

Let us examine how contrasting their approaches of development cooperation, keeping in mind the shared goal. While the EU members’ principle is the separation of private interest from aid activities, Japan, as well as other Asian nations, has adhered to the synthesis among aid, direct investment, and trade.

While the EU members have repeatedly affirmed the vital connection between democracy, good governance, and market mechanism, on the one hand, and poverty reduction, on the other hand, Japan, again together with other Asian nations, has given priority to endogenous values, arising from within individual societies.

Taking into consideration the above historical background, it is expected that both of the EU and Japan further explore the potentiality of complementary relations between diverse values and views, keeping in mind the shared goal of sustainable and inclusive growth.

Yasutami Shimomura is Professor Emeritus at Hosei University, Tokyo. He is a frequent writer of books and articles on Japanese development cooperation. He was previously Dean of the Graduate School of Environmental Management at Hosei and a Board Member at Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC).

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