Joint Statement: United States -Japan Cooperation on APEC

Office of the Spokesman

Ottawa, Canada

March 29, 2010

Following is the text of a joint statement by the United States and Japan on the U.S.-Japan Cooperation on APEC.

Begin text:

Japan and the United States, as the hosts of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in 2010 and 2011, are cooperating closely to achieve substantive outcomes that will contribute to the growth and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region. Together with the other APEC economies, our two governments are working closely to push forward on regional economic integration, taking a practical and concrete approach. We are also cooperating in the design of a new growth paradigm for the region, to promote growth which is more balanced, inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and knowledge-based. We are determined to take the lead in ensuring that APEC continues to serve as a driving force for economic prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world.

Japan and the United States look forward to working together with the other APEC economies to inspire new ideas for cooperation and to generate concrete outcomes. Today, Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister Okada agreed to work together bilaterally on several signature initiatives that will support broader APEC outcomes, with a particular emphasis on human security:

• We will work together to ensure that APEC plans and implements specific and significant actions aimed at sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and food availability, and facilitating agriculture-related trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region.
  
• We will organize a Women’s Entrepreneurship Summit to address policy, human resources and financing issues, thereby galvanizing the Asia-Pacific region to unleash the potential of women as entrepreneurs and business leaders

• We will cooperate in addressing climate change by exploring opportunities to help economies in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly small island economies, to be better prepared to adapt to the likely impact of climate change.
  
• We will cooperate to enhance emergency preparedness in the Asia-Pacific region, with a focus on public-private partnerships and networking among experts, building on the outcomes of the Fourth APEC Senior Disaster Management Officials Forum in Kobe in January 2010, and deepening discussions at the Fifth Forum in the United States in 2011.

Beyond these measures, as APEC hosts in 2010 and 2011, Japan and the United States are working closely together to enhance the operations of the APEC organization, with an eye toward improving accountability and efficiency, and ensuring that projects and activities are closely linked to core APEC priorities.