“It is in the interest of the world including Asia that an open Europe be upheld”

UK, March 7, 2018.- “It is in the interest of the world including Asia that an open Europe be upheld” commences the second paragraph of this letter to the UK and the EU published on the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs webpage (mofa.go.com) and published in September 2016, this letter is still relevant today as all the stated uncertainties remain.

In this letter Japan (not clear which particular institution is referred as “Japan”) is sending a “strong message” to the world, and in particular to the UK and the EU, to keep working together in leading the “free trade system” and includes a series of requests directed to the UK and the EU.

By reading the requests you could conclude that ”Japan” expects serious disruptions in the current European economic environment if the UK and the EU don’t get to agree on a free trade union area as today’s (customs union) and asks “the Uk and the EU to take appropriate measures to alleviate any drastic changes, allocating a sufficient period for transition and notification so as to minimize the impacts on business, if as a result of BREXIT it becomes unavoidable to make changes to the existing systems” …. Yes, Brexit will mean clear changes to the existing systems which are still unknown. Good luck to all of us!.