European Union, geo-economics, Japan, strategic partnership, Visegrad Group

The paper is devoted to strengthening political-economic relations of the EU and Japan at the level of a strategic partnership in times of worries about the future of open liberal market space and economic globalisation. Next to boosting its bilateral trade, the geo-economics of EU-Japan strategic convergence is expected to bring catalysing effects on trade liberalisation, labour, climate and consumer protection with positive externalities on global economy such as promoting values, principles and fairness. Since the Economic Partnership Agreement has entered into force in 2019, more opportunities with Japan have also been open to initiatives, commercial subjects and industries in the Visegrad Group - the regional cooperation framework of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia since 1991. This paper praises the scope and timing of the EU-Japan strategic partnership at the turn of a third decade of the 21stcentury and addresses the implications and perspectives of the Visegrad Group.