TOKYO: EU commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso has praised the ideas of Japan's new premier, who recently criticised US-led globalisation, as a sign of "converging views" between Europe and Tokyo.

An essay by centre-left leader Yukio Hatoyama, which was reprinted in part by the New York Times, caused consternation in Washington as it also criticised the Iraq war and pointed to the end of US global dominance.

Barroso, in a personal message dated Tuesday, praised ideas in Hatoyama's essay which hailed Europe's integration efforts -- a concept Hatoyama wants Asia to emulate in future with a political union and common currency.

"I would like to underline the converging views between your vision for Japan and the new political guidelines for the next commission," wrote Barroso, who was set Wednesday to be re-elected as head of the European Commission.

"At a turning point in global history we need to invent a transformational agenda and to shape globalisation with values promoting human dignity, using sound principles of governance such as subsidiarity," Barroso wrote, referring to the EU's concept of decentralised political power which Hatoyama had cited.

Barroso -- who will meet Hatoyama at a Group of 20 summit next week in the United States -- said Europe and Japan must work together to revive the global economy, reduce poverty and combat climate change.

"The EU is preparing proposals to strengthen financial regulation and consider it would be good to have convergent views with Japan ahead of the Pittsburgh meeting," he said.

Barroso also hailed Hatoyama's decision to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020, if other major emitters also agree to similar ambitious targets.

"It is good to see Japan at the forefront of the debate and to lead by example," Barroso said. "The EU has tabled a 30-percent reduction and we are happy that our positions are converging."