Japan and Germany's leaders have come to an agreement that seeks to lessen the global impact of Britain's highly-anticipated exit from the European Union in late March.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and German Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed to keep improving free trade as Brexit draws near, The Washington Post reported.
The two leaders also urged U.K. officials to keep a "no-deal" Brexit off the table as they both believe that the country's exit from the union will end on a positive note if there are certain rules and deals to be protected.
Abe and Merkel made their pledge to defend free trade regulations now that protectionism is becoming rampant in the face of Britain's nearing EU exit. Japan and the EU share a huge free trade area that makes up about a third of the global economy, which is why Abe and Merkel want to protect the trade ties their countries have.
After Monday's meeting in Tokyo, Abe said of the goal to keep helping the world's economy grow, "In order to do so, we need to minimize the impact on the global economy from Brexit. We definitely hope (for Britain) to avoid a no-deal Brexit."
Merkel, on the other hand, suggested that London should create a proposal that will establish the foundations of an agreement for the Irish border. Merkel noted that while the withdrawal agreement can no longer be negotiated with the European Commission, border talks can still be laid out by the U.K.
Merkel added that it is important for European states to give Britain a chance to share their visions on how the Irish border will function following Brexit.
Another issue that was raised on Monday's meeting between Abe and Merkel was the Venezuelan government's president dilemma. Merkel confirmed that she is recognizing the opposition party's Juan Guiado as the "legitimate interim president" of the troubled country.
So far, most South American states and Washington have rallied behind Guiado. The European Union has also given President Nicolas Maduro eight days to initiate a presidential election. The deadline has since ended on Sunday.
While Abe did not comment on Guiado's interim presidency, he did state that Japan is looking forward to a prompt and organized solution to end the Venezuelan people's political crisis.
In his speech, Abe also said both Japan and Germany share responsibility in ensuring global peace and prosperity, Japan Today reported. He said he is willing to work with Merkel in hopes for global order as long as the proposals are "based on rules."
