Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said energy and security cooperation were major agenda items at the Korea-Japan summit, while Korea's potential accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) was not included in the discussions.
Toshihiro Kitamura, press secretary of Japan's Foreign Ministry, held an online briefing for Korean reporters on Wednesday following the Korea-Japan summit and said, "One of the key elements of today's meeting was bilateral cooperation to strengthen energy and security."
"This includes the mutual exchange of crude oil and petroleum products as well as swap transactions," he said. "The details will be discussed through industry and commerce ministerial dialogue."
Regarding "Power Asia," an Asian energy cooperation initiative being pursued by the Japanese government, Kitamura said, "The Japanese government has decided to provide $10 billion in support so that Asian countries can procure crude oil not only from the Middle East but also from other regions of the world."
He added, "On a more structural and medium- to long-term basis, we will support Asian countries in strengthening their stockpiling capabilities and provide technical assistance for diversifying energy sources." He continued, "The Korean government has also agreed to cooperate with Japan to support challenges facing Asian countries in the wake of the Middle East situation."
On discussions of Korea's CPTPP accession, he said, "I understand it was not discussed at the summit."
Asked whether Japan raised the conclusion of an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) at the summit, Kitamura responded, "The leaders of the two countries shared the importance of Korea-Japan and Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation, and agreed that they should play a leading role in responding to challenges in the Indo-Pacific region on this basis."
He added, "I cannot comment on specifics, but the two leaders fully shared the necessity and importance of continuing cooperation in the security field."
