Event: Opportunities for the Ireland, EU and Japan business relationship

On September 28th, the IJCC welcomed the Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland) to Japan with a luncheon in Tokyo.   

On the 51st floor of the Roppongi Hills Club, the Tánaiste shared her thoughts with our members on recent developments in EU-Japan economic relations and the future of the Ireland-Japan business relationship. The theme of the event was "Recent developments in EU-Japan relations and opportunities for the Ireland, EU and Japan business relationship.".

We were also joined by the Chairman of the European Business Council in Japan, Danny Risberg, and the Ambassador of the European Union to Japan, Viorel Isticioaia-Budura, who both gave an excellent speech describing their perspective on the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, which was recently agreed in principle. 

After the speeches, the Tanaiste and her colleagues from Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland answered questions from the floor on a wide range of topics.

Commenting on the luncheon Eamonn Murphy, President of the IJCC, said, "We'd like to thank the Tanaiste, and her team from Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, for meeting with our members. And we wish them every success with their trade mission to Japan."

For photo's... click here

Speakers:  

• Frances Fitzgerald TD. Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation  

• Danny Risberg. Chairman of the European Business Council in Japan and CEO of Philips Electronics Japan Ltd.  

• Viorel Isticioaia-Budura. Ambassador of the European Union to Japan, Head of the Delegation.  

Biographies

Frances Fitzgerald TD  

Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation  

Frances Fitzgerald serves as Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation. Her priorities include driving employment growth and investment in Ireland, especially outside the greater Dublin area, expanding our enterprise agencies presence abroad and ensuring Ireland is business ready for Brexit.  

She is a TD (Member of Parliament) for the constituency of Dublin Mid-West, a former social worker and a parliamentarian for over 20 years.

Danny Risberg   

Danny Risberg is a member of the board of directors and holds the position of Chairman of Philips Electronics Japan, Ltd. and as the Chairman of the European Business Counsel in Japan (EBC).

He currently holds the position of Chairman of the European Business Council/European (EU) Chamber of Commerce in Japan (EBC), which is the trade policy arm of the 18 European national chambers of commerce and business organisations in Japan. The EBC currently represents more than 2,500 local European companies and individuals who are members of their national chambers of commerce. Some 250 of these companies participate directly in the EBC’s 26 sector-based committees.

Before taking up the position of EBC Chairman from February 2014, he served as the Vice-Chairman of the organisation. He is also active as the Chairman of the EBC’s largest committee, the Medical Equipment and Diagnostics Committee, a position he has held for several years. In addition to these activities, he is a member of the EU-Japan Business Roundtable (BRT) in two capacities.

As the Chairman of the EBC, he serves as the Co-Chair for Europe of the BRT Working Party on Trade Relations, Investment and Regulatory Cooperation, and as the CEO of Philips Electronics Japan, Ltd., he is an active member of the Working Party on Life Science and Biotechnology, Healthcare and Well-Being. Professional and Personal

Viorel Isticioaia-Budura  

H.E. Viorel Isticioaia-Budura is Ambassador of the European Union to Japan since December 2014.

From 2011 to October 2014, he served as Managing Director of the Asia and Pacific Department of the European External Action Service. Previously, he served as Ambassador of Romania to the People's Republic of China from October 2002 to January 2011 and Ambassador of Romania to the Republic of Korea from June 2000 to October 2002. Having joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1978, he has had a range of other postings including Beijing (1985-1990), Tokyo (1992-1996), and London (1998-2000). Other assignments at headquarter have included periods in multilateral affairs.

H.E. Viorel Isticioaia-Budura was born in 1952 and speaks English, French and Chinese as foreign languages. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Chinese language and Literature from Nankai University (Tianjin) and a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy and History from the University of Bucharest.