(2) Statement by the Board of Information, January 21, 1943
Yesterday, January 20th, at the General Headquarters of the German Fuehrer, the Japanese Ambassador to Germany, Lieutenant-General Hiroshi Oshima, and the German Foreign Minister, Mr. Joachim von Ribbentrop,
signed an agreement between Japan and Germany concerning economic co-operation and on the same day at Rome the Japanese Charge d'Affaires, Mr. Shunichi Kasé, and the Italian Foreign Minister, Count Galeazzo Ciano, signed an agreement on economic co-operation between Japan and Italy.
These agreements possess the same period of validity as the Tripartite Pact, the purpose of which they are to substantiate in the field of economy. In this respect they may be considered an extension and reinforcement of the Tripartite Pact. By concluding these agreements, Japan, Germany and Italy intend to prosecute war against their common enemy through the formulation of a grand economic plan and by employing the total combined strength of the two great economic spheres of greater East Asia and Europe, they intend to lay the foundation for permanent economic co-operation between these spheres after the war. The agreements provide for the acceleration of extensive exchange of various kinds of economic goods and services and also for co-operation regarding all matters pertaining to economy and finance.