Aso calls for Japan-Europe cooperation on crisis, climate, terrorism

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BERLIN, May 5 Kyodo -
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso delivered a speech Tuesday in Berlin calling
for boosting Japanese-European cooperation to help solve such global issues as
climate change, the financial crisis and terrorism.
Aso highlighted four issues in his policy speech at Humboldt University, also
including a call to jointly tackle nuclear arms reduction and nonproliferation
of weapons of mass destruction, as the most urgent tasks the world faces.
The ''Japanese-European partnership is crucial'' to overcoming these issues, he
said.
Aso also said that ''the responsibilities of the Group of Eight nations have
been increased more than ever.''
The G-8 powers include four European nations -- Britain, France, Italy and
Germany -- as well as Japan. The other three are Canada, Russia and the United
States.
He also said it is important to strengthen dialogue with emerging economies as
part of enhancing international cooperation.
On the issue of nuclear disarmament, Aso said he ''hopes to grasp the historic
opportunity (to reduce nuclear arms in the world) together with European
nations,'' referring to the momentum created by U.S. President Barack Obama's
recent speech calling for achieving a nuclear weapons-free world.
As for a new anti-global warming framework to replace the Kyoto Protocol from
2013, Aso said, ''The common big goal of both Japan and Europe is to get all
major emitters of greenhouse gases involved (in the new framework).''
Aso was earlier in the Czech Republic on his four-day, two-nation tour to meet
with European leaders and discuss various issues.
He is scheduled to return to Tokyo on Wednesday.
==Kyodo