A preliminary round-table meeting took place in Brussels on 15 May 1984 between several members of the Japanese Government and the Commission. The Japanese side reaffirmed Japan's desire to strengthen its links with the Community and its determination to strengthen its links with the Community and its determination to continue opening up the Japanese market, including the financial market, and reiterated its suggestion that a new round of GATT negotiations should be launched in the near future. The Commission laid particular stress on the need for a better balance of trade between the Community and Japan and called upon Japan to assume its full responsibilities at world level. The Commission also emphasized the importance which it attaches to the development of cooperation with Japan. On the question of a new round of trade negotiations, it urged the need to complete the GATT work programme and to refrain from embarking upon such an exercise unless there was adequate preparation and a broad consensus as to its objectives.The Japanese ministers invited the Commission to attend a round-table meeting in Japan in 1985.