Crown Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg speaks during an interview with The Japan News in Tokyo on Thursday.
19:30 JST, June 13, 2024
Luxembourg and Japan have laid a solid foundation for economic cooperation in such advanced areas as space and data-driven industries, the Grand Duchy’s Crown Prince Guillaume said in an interview with The Japan News in Tokyo on Thursday.
The Crown Prince led the country’s economic delegation of about 60 people to Japan, describing its purpose as “strengthening the bond between Japan and Luxembourg” and saying the mission was “certainly successful.”
During his four-day visit through Thursday, he achieved notable achievements, such as the signing of a cooperation memorandum between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA) and the signing of an air services agreement between the two governments. These agreements have laid “the cornerstone” for future bilateral economic cooperation, the Crown Prince said.
The memorandum between JAXA and the LSA enables further cooperation in areas such as supercomputing and mutual use of facilities. The air services agreement establishes a legal framework for the stable operation of scheduled air services between the two countries.
According to the International Monetary Fund, Luxembourg is an economic powerhouse with the highest GDP per capita in the world, at over $130,000. Its strength lies in the vibrant financial sector, especially investment funds and private banking. The small country, with a population of about 670,000, has also diversified its economy by making progress in areas such as space and information and communications technology (ICT).
The national space industry “is becoming a success story… attracting many companies and many startups,” the Crown Prince said. Citing the Grand Duchy’s excellent connectivity, data center ecosystem and cybersecurity, he said Luxembourg “is of course a very good and interesting place for Japanese companies wanting to explore the European market.”
Luxembourg is a constitutional monarchy. In the interview, the Crown Prince emphasized the Grand Ducal Family’s close ties with the Imperial Family. During the delegation’s visit to Japan, the Emperor and Empress, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko met with Crown Prince Guillaume. It is “a tremendous honor” to foster strong ties with the imperial family and pass them on to future generations, he said.
During his visit to Japan, the Crown Prince also met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ken Saito.
At the end of the interview, he emphasized the importance of bilateral cooperation to the world, saying that Japan and Luxembourg share democratic values such as multilateralism and the rule of law. Referring to the world’s geopolitical context as “very complicated and complex,” the Crown Prince said that “all these crises have actually brought us closer and closer together.”
Luxembourg’s Minister of Economy, Lex Delles, said this in an interview on Thursday.
Delles: Ask the right questions
As a key member of the delegation, Luxembourg’s Minister of Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, also emphasized in an interview with The Japan the importance of further economic cooperation between the two nations, which share “values, friendship and trust”. News on Thursday.
As an example, the minister referred to the activities of Tokyo-based space startup ispace, Inc., which has developed a lunar microrover in collaboration with the government of Luxembourg. The rover is scheduled to be shipped to Japan as early as next month in preparation for a launch by the end of the year, the minister said.
Regarding the Grand Duchy’s current pre-eminent economic status, Delles described the country’s evolution from a traditional agricultural-oriented economy to a leading steel power in the 20th century, followed by its further development into a world-class financial center and the current transition to a data-driven economy. “I think we asked the right questions at the right time in Luxembourg, and we can see that. The success of our economy is due to changing our economic priorities,” he said.
