ABSTRACT
The degree of international cooperation that exists today between Japan and the United Kingdom (UK) is a most impressive yardstick by which to measure the level of reconciliation between the two countries. Both countries have interests that go beyond what can be done to promote them within a bilateral framework, or that have to be pursued simultaneously (or even exclusively) in multilateral fora. In addition the UK’s bilateral relationship with Japan is increasingly being shaped by its membership in the European Union (EU) and also by its involvement in multilateral organizations and fora. This chapter will therefore specifically look at the impact of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) on Japan-UK relations as well as Japan-UK interactions within international organizations, notably in the United Nations (UN). One can state without exaggeration that both countries share a great concern for strengthening the multilateral system, which has become indispensable in addressing a wide variety of global issues. Reform of the UN system, including the enlargement of the UN Security Council (UNSC), which is currently a very topical subject partly because of Japan’s advocacy, belongs into this category. Finally there is what I would call ‘elite multilateralism’, notably the Group of Eight (G-8), in which both countries are heavily involved.
