Abe calls on EU leaders to avoid no-deal Brexit

BRUSSELS - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday called on European Union leaders to help Britain avert a potentially disastrous departure from the economic bloc without an exit deal.
In a meeting in Brussels, Abe and the EU leaders -- European Council chief Donald Tusk and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker -- agreed on the importance of free trade and cooperation toward the success of the Group of 20 summit to be held in Osaka in June.

Abe said at a news conference after the talks that Tokyo welcomes the European Union's recent decision to give Britain an extended Oct. 31 deadline to leave the bloc.

The Japanese leader is in Brussels as part of his European and North American tour to prepare for this year's G-20 summit of major economies that he will chair in the western Japanese city.

Abe aims to work closely with the European Union, which is part of the G-20, in tackling common agendas such as trade, climate change, and data governance, Japanese officials said.

The European Union is a major trading partner and a direct investment destination for Japan. When combined, the 28-member bloc and Japan make up about a third of the world's economy.

The Japanese and European leaders also hailed the entry into force in February of a two-way free trade agreement amid an ongoing U.S.-China trade war, while reaffirming the strengthening of maritime security cooperation between the two sides.

Abe's trip comes amid concern among some European Union members about the prospect of Beijing getting a bigger foothold following Italy's recent endorsement in March of Chinese President Xi Jinping's signature "One Belt, One Road" infrastructure development initiative, the first member of the Group of Seven industrialized nations to do so.

In a summit Wednesday in Rome, Abe agreed with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte that they will pursue high-quality infrastructure that can achieve both economic growth and fiscal sustainability.

The trip is also aimed at boosting relations with the Visegrad Four, a group that has gained a greater presence among the European Union in recent years. Abe met with leaders from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary on Thursday.

Source: https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190426/p2g/00m/0na/002000c