As part of the Economic Development plans for promoting Bailiwick business interests globally, Deputy Moakes attended the Institute of Directors’ Japan Symposium at Japan House, London, and separately met with Minister Hiroshi Matsuura from the Embassy of Japan to the United Kingdom.
The Japan Symposium celebrated the Iwakura Mission which stayed in Britain for 122 days.
The Iwakura Mission was a Japanese diplomatic mission from Japan to the US and Europe conducted between 1871 and 1873 by leading statesmen and scholars. The mission was not the only such mission, but it is the most well-known and considered the most significant in terms of its impact on the modernisation of Japan after a long period of isolation from the West.
Deputy Moakes said this event provided an ideal opportunity to reaffirm Guernsey’s globally facing position for the supply of goods and services and to develop relationships between Guernsey and Japan.
Pictured: Tokyo is one of Japan’s many prosperous cities.
Japan is considered to be an important trading and political partner for the Bailiwick, having held the Chair of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP) during the UK accession negotiations and concluded the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (UK-Japan CEPA).
Guernsey’s interests are included in both agreements to improve transparency, security and protection for businesses trading between Japan and Guernsey.
During the Symposium, Deputy Moakes met with the Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP, Minister of State for Indo-Pacific, and the Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, UK Trade Envoy to Japan, and thanked them both for continuing to support the island’s international trade interests. Deputy Moakes was also invited to meet Minister Hiroshi Matsuura, Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the UK. Minister Matsuura has a distinguished career and has most recently been the Chief Negotiator for the UK-Japan CEPA agreement (concluded in 2022).
The bilateral meeting provided an opportunity to reaffirm Guernsey’s commitments to meeting the required international standards of both the UK-Japan CEPA and CPTPP and to discuss areas of mutual international trade interests included seeking Japan’s support with further participation in the CPTPP.
“It was a privilege to meet briefly with UK Ministers responsible for representing UK and Guernsey interests in the Indo-Pacific region and it was an honour for me to meet with Minister Matsuura from the Embassy of Japan to the United Kingdom,” said Deputy Moakes.
“I was pleased to be able to discuss many areas of shared interests with Minister Matsuura, including our international trade interests, ranging from financial and professional services to tourism and manufactured goods.”
Pictured top: Minister Matsuura and Deputy Moakes.