ABSTRACT
At the July 2017 summit in Brussels the European Union (EU) and Japan reached a political agreement in principle on two landmark agreements, the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA). East Asia's volatile security environment has the potential to hurt the EU economically and politically. The EU's experiences have led it to develop a holistic approach to crisis management and security challenges. The EU has to fulfil its treaty-based obligation to conduct a principled foreign policy. The EU and Japan share an interest in better communication lines between Asia and Europe and in and with Central Asia, a source of energy and other raw materials. Intensifying cooperation and developing a joint framework requires both Japan and the EU to define a coherent policy in relation to each other in order to add a sense of purpose which would help overcome any misconception of national interest.
