¡°In order to make the connectivity linking Japan and Europe something rock-solid, the Indo-Pacific, the sea route that leads to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, must be free and open.¡± Speaking in Brussels in September 2019, then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his sentiments about Europe and its role in securing the future of the Indo-Pacific ¨D a region vital for Europe¡¯s economic survival.
Abe saw Europe¡¯s involvement as crucial to balance economic and political forces at a global level, especially at a time when the trade rivalry between the United States and China was heating up and Washington was waving its ¡°America First¡± policy. In an international setting where shared values and interests bolster solidarity, it is no wonder that the European Union and Japan became ¡°natural¡± partners.
Three years later, Abe reiterated his view of Europe¡¯s crucial role. In the last text he wrote before his assassination on July 8, 2022, he alluded to European nations as value-based partners and the need to deepen ties with them even as the four original Indo-Pacific partners ¡ª Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. ¨D forged a key framework in the face of threats. This was in line with Abe¡¯s long-standing belief in expanding the ¡°circle of free societies.¡±
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