Delegates from the House of Councillors attend the 43rd Japan-EU Interparliamentary Conference in Strasbourg
July 8-9, 2026
The 43rd Japan-EU Interparliamentary Conference was held in Strasbourg, France, for two days on Wednesday, July 8 and Thursday, July 9, 2026. The delegation from the National Diet of Japan comprised three members from the House of Councillors—Mr. TSURUHO Yosuke, as deputy leader of the delegation, Ms. MORI Yuko and Mr. UEDA Kiyoshi—as well as six members from the House of Representatives, including Mr. FUNADA Hajime as leader of the delegation.
The Japan-EU Interparliamentary Conference has generally been held once a year, alternating between Japan and the EU, since its first meeting in 1978 in Luxembourg.
A lively discussion took place during the session with the themes on EU-Japan relations in the context of global geopolitical volatility, Ways forward in EU-Japan security partnership and defence industry cooperation, EU-Japan cooperation in culture, science and technology, Cooperation in industrial policy and strengthening of the economic security, and Trade dimension of the Competitiveness Alliance and the implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement.
Mr.TSURUHO highlighted the importance of supporting Ukraine to uphold the international order based on the rule of law, as well as the need to further strengthen cooperation with Europe—in areas such as ensuring the maritime security and enhancing energy security—in light of the situation regarding Iran. Ms. MORI spoke about strengthening cooperation with the EU toward resolving the issue of abductions by North Korea, the anxiety regarding nuclear development including by Russia and Iran, and the development of Japan-EU cooperation on nuclear safety including the possibility of phasing out nuclear power generation. Mr. UEDA, building on his experience as the Governor of Saitama Prefecture, made remarks on industrial policy to protect people's livelihoods, and on Japan-EU cooperation to diversify the supply of critical mineral resources and strengthen supply chains. Following the conclusion of the second session, a joint statement was issued based on the discussions held during the meeting.
Prior to the meeting, the delegation from the National Diet of Japan met with Ms. Catherine Trautmann, Mayor of Strasbourg and Chairperson of the Eurométropole de Strasbourg, Mr. Bernd Lange, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade, Mr. David McAllister, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and Ms. Roberta Metsola, President of European Parliament. The delegation also observed a plenary session of the European Parliament and was introduced on the floor.
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