Abe Meets Merkel

After struggling to overcome a major economic crisis for one and a half decades, Japan is now on its way to defining a more assertive foreign policy. Shinzo Abe's visit to Berlin has come shortly after Japan launched its first fully-fledged defense ministry since World War II.

Tokyo's present top policy priorities are a more assertive foreign policy, as well as aspirations to rewrite the US-imposed 1947 constitution, which declared Japan a pacifist state. Apart from reassuring each other of their increased economic and environmental co-operation, Abe and German Chancellor Angela Merkel debated current issues related to North Korea's nuclear program.

"The prime minister talked to me about his idea of a modern Japanese foreign and security policy," Merkel said. "There's a lot of common ground between our two sides, particularly as far as our stance towards North Korea is concerned. We both have a vested interest in the success of the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program. We call on North Korea to end its nuclear program, and we don't like the idea of them possessing nuclear weapons, or should I say, more nuclear weapons.

"We understand that for Japan this issue is of crucial importance and affects the country's security perception directly," Merkel added. "As far as Germany is concerned, we're willing to do everything in our power to help resolve the ongoing conflict."

Zero tolerance

Abe added that there would be unforeseeable consequences if the talks were to fail.

"Japan cannot tolerate a nuclear-armed North Korea," he said. "Every diplomatic channel will have to be used to find a speedy solution to the conflict. If the North Koreans possess nuclear weapons, the uncontrolled proliferation of such arms might only be one step away. Hence the international community must come closer together to help achieve a breakthrough in talks."

Abe and Merkel also both stated that they were opposed to lifting the current arms embargo against China. The Japanese guest made it abundantly clear that other nations had nothing to fear from a more assertive Japan which would by no means seek to return to imperial militarism.

Business opportunities

He added he hoped there would be enough understanding for Tokyo's current drive to play a greater role in international politics.

Abe told the German chancellor that he viewed the enlarged European Union as an area of increased business opportunities. On the fringes of political talks in Berlin, Japan and Germany signed a treaty on the delivery of German top-notch environmental technology which will help reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.