Japan and the European Union have agreed to enhance their collaboration in assisting Afghanistan, combating piracy in Somalia, and initiating discussions to strengthen their trade relations. At a summit held in Tokyo, EU president Herman Van Rompuy emphasized the importance of closer cooperation between Asia's largest economy and the 27-nation bloc in order to play a significant role as global economic and political entities. Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama confirmed the commitment to work together on achieving peace in crisis situations and post-conflict management, as well as establishing a high-level group to explore economic cooperation for a duration of six to twelve months. Tokyo is eager to negotiate a free-trade agreement similar to the one the EU made with South Korea, Japan's high-tech export competitor. However, Brussels has raised concerns about non-tariff barriers to Japan's market. Van Rompuy has also emphasized the importance of cooperation on various global issues including climate change, poverty, terrorism, economic stability, nuclear non-proliferation, and human rights. He stressed the need for collaboration between the EU and Japan to address these challenges and make a positive impact in a globalized world. Van Rompuy also highlighted the importance of international network security and the threat of attacks on the free movement of goods, people, and information. The networks are at risk, cyber-attacks are a real threat and occur frequently, causing harm. It is crucial to strengthen our defenses against these attacks, especially since both Japan and Europe are deeply interconnected in global networks. Van Rompuy mentioned the importance of economic ties during a briefing at the Japan Press Club, suggesting that a free-trade agreement could boost trade between the two regions. However, he noted that there are still barriers to trade in place, making it difficult to access the Japanese market and causing hesitation from the EU. He suggested that both parties should spend more time identifying their objectives before moving forward. The EU has requested that Japan address non-tariff barriers, such as product safety and government procurement rules, before proceeding with negotiations. Tanaka, a professor at Keio University, noted that the EU has criticized Japan for non-tariff barriers but is hesitant to sign a free-trade agreement. In contrast, Japan is eager for a deal with the EU, especially after seeing the success of the EU-South Korea agreement. At the moment, the European Union enforces tariffs of 10 percent on vehicle imports and 14 percent on electronics. However, South Korean companies like Samsung, LG, and Hyundai Motor will eventually be relieved of these tariffs. This puts Japanese manufacturers at a significant disadvantage when selling their products in the European market, according to Tanaka. The EU delegation will soon head to China for a comparable summit in Shanghai, coinciding with the start of the World Expo on Saturday.