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Corporate November 28, 2011

A meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda

Jean-Yves Le Gall, Chairman and CEO of Arianespace, and Mr. Hiromasa Yonekura, Chairman of Sumitomo Chemical Corp. and Chairman of Nippon Keidanren (the Japanese business federation), met Yoshihiko Noda, the Japanese Prime Minister, on Monday, November 28 in Tokyo.

The meeting addressed the work of the EU-Japan Business Round Table (EJBRT), co-chaired by Messrs Le Gall and Yonekura, and the preparation for the potential opening, in 2012, of negotiations between the European Union and Japan on a possible free trade agreement. Every year, the EJBRT submits recommendations drawn up by European and Japanese industry to the Prime Minister of Japan and to the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council.

Against this backdrop, Messrs Le Gall and Yonekura held discussions with the Japanese Prime Minister concerning, in particular, the issue of trade barriers between Japan and the European Union. The meeting in Tokyo took place midway between the last EJBRT meeting, held in April in Rome and attended by the Vice Chairman of the European Commission, Antonio Tajani, the Japanese State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Chiaki Takahashi, and the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hideichi Okada, and the next meeting, to be held on April 3 and 4, 2012 in Tokyo.

Jean-Yves Le Gall also took advantage of this meeting to show the Prime Minister of Japan the advantages of collaboration between Europe and Japan, using the example of Ariane 5 launches of Japanese space missions.

About Arianespace

Arianespace is the world’s leading launch service & solutions company, providing innovation to its customers since 1980. Backed by 21 shareholders and the European Space Agency, Arianespace offers an international workforce renowned for a culture of commitment and excellence. As of 15 November 2011, Arianespace had launched a total of 298 payloads with Ariane launchers, had successfully launched the first Soyuz at the Guiana Space Center and was preparing the first launch of Vega. It has a backlog of 21 Ariane 5 and 16 Soyuz launches, equal to more than three years of business.

Rencontre avec M. Yoshihiko NODA, Premier Ministre du Japon
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Corporate November 8, 2011

Three launchers on the equator!

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