Events

In our calendar, you can find all the events organised or sponsored by the EU-Japan Centre, as well as other events related to EU-Japan relations.

21/12/2010 - Tokyo, Japan

Relations with Russia : Access to Energy and Raw Materials (seminar)

On Tuesday 21 December 2010, the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation organised in Tokyo a seminar on “Relations with Russia: Access to Energy and Raw Materials", an issue of key importance to both EU and Japanese industry. In this event, Ms. Kristiina Ojuland, Member of the European Parliament, former Foreign Minister of Estonia (2002-2005) and currently serving as a member of EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, presented the challenges faced by the EU in its dealings with Russia as one of its major suppliers of oil and gas. On the Japanese side, Mr. Masumi Motomura, Chief Researcher (CIS), at Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC), detailed his views on the influence of Russian energy on Northeast Asia and Japan’s strategy for Sakhalin projects and the East Siberia development.

The Russian Federation is an important supplier of gas, oil and uranium and the “Russian Energy Strategy to 2030”, adopted in 2009, is planning to further develop the country’s energy production. Already very dependent on energy imports from Russia, the EU aims at diversifying its suppliers to reduce this dependency on Russia, while Japan is looking at increasing oil and gas imports from Russia to avoid a too exclusive reliance on the Middle East. Ms. Kristiina Ojuland described the oil and gas production, distribution infrastructure and markets in Russia, and how Russia is using energy resources as a political weapon. She underlined also a lack of investment and delays in implementing the necessary innovative technologies for the opening of new oil and gas fields, while the old ones are progressively exhausting. Corruption, cheaper prices on the spot market for European traders, an increasing availability of shale gas on the global market, as well as the promotion of a sustainable low-carbon economy and energy-efficiency in the EU, are important challenges for the future of Russia’s oil and gas production and exports. Mr. Masumi Motomura explained the necessity for Japan’s energy security to decrease its dependency on Middle East imports. From 1% of total Japanese crude oil imports in 2006, the share of imports from Russia has already increased to 8% in 2010. Although risks exist, such as the insecure investment climate (reluctance to utilise foreign expertise, monopolistic control of energy resources, etc.), corruption and a lack of coordination at Russian ministries level, Japanese private companies are increasingly investing in Russian oil and gas infrastructure and using their innovative technologies to secure a diversification of primary resources supply.

This seminar was attended by 65 people from business, industrial federations, the Japanese Government, the EU Delegation and Member States Embassies, Japanese Public Organisations and Media. Questions were raised on the current political situation in Belarus and Ukraine that could affect energy imports from Russia to the EU, on the control of Russian gas production and distribution by Gazprom, on nuclear energy and the importance of Russia as a supplier of uranium, and on the geostrategic interest of the Nabucco pipeline.

Programme:
15:00	Opening remark by Mr. Julien Guerrier, General Manager, EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation
15:05	“Relations with Russia : Access to Energy and Raw Materials” Speaker: Ms. Kristiina Ojuland, Member of the European Parliament / Member of EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee of the European Parliament
15:30	“Influence of Russian Energy on the Northeast Asia: a shift of energy flow and Japan's strategy” Speaker: Mr. Masumi Motomura, Chief Researcher (CIS), Research Department, Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC)
15:55	Questions & Answers
16:30	Closing remark, Mr. Hiroshi Tsukamoto, General Manager, EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation

About the speakers

Ms. Kristiina Ojuland
Ms. Ojuland started her public career in the Estonian Ministries of Justice (1990 – 1992) and of Foreign Affairs (1992 – 1993). From 1993 to 2002 she held various public posts both for the City of Tallinn (Estonia) and for the Council of Europe. For the latter she served as Vice President of the Parliamentary Assembly (1996-2002) and Vice President of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party (1999-2002). In 2002 Ms. Ojuland was appointed to the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Estonia. During her term as the Foreign Minister of Estonia, Ms. Ojuland visited Japan in 2002 for the signing of the Co-operation Protocol between Estonia and Japan, which laid the basis for the regular political dialogues between Estonia and Japan. In 2005 Ms. Ojuland was elected as the Member of the Estonian Parliament and was Vice Chairman from April 2007 to June 2009. Ms. Ojuland became the Member of the European Parliament in June 2009 and is currently serving as members of EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and of EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees.

Mr. Masumi Motomura
Chief Researcher at JOGMEC (Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation). Prior to joining JOGMEC, Mr. Motomura has worked for Japan National Oil Corporation (JNOC) as geologist, Director for the Russian and Caspian Division, and Chief Researcher for the Research and Planning Department. He was also a visiting researcher at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies in 2001. Mr. Motomura specialises in petroleum geology and his research themes include “Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Metal resources Institutions in Russian and Caspian countries” and “Petroleum and Natural Gas Resources”.　Mr. Motomura graduated from the University of Tokyo.

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