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Report
No.230503 |
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- International - |
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Prime Minister Koizumi Agrees to Start EPA Negotiations with Chile, also Signs Japan-Canada Economic Framework The Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Junichiro KOIZUMI, and the President of the Republic of Chile, Mr. Ricardo LAGOS Escobar, held a meeting in Busan, Korea, on November 18, 2005. This was to follow up on the agreement reached during their meeting on November 22, 2004 to set up a Joint Study Group, comprised of individuals from business, academic and government circles to explore the possibility of concluding a Japan-Chile Economic Partnership Agreement / Free Trade Agreement. The two leaders agreed to commence negotiations based on the conviction, drawing on the recommendation of the report, that a Japan-Chile Economic Partnership Agreement will contribute to further development of close economic relationship in a broad range of areas between the two countries. The Joint Study Group, according to its report, found that one of the important results of an EPA/FTA could be for such an agreement to become a founding stone of long-term and strategic alliance as well as to serve as a firm basis of establishing stronger economic relationship between the two countries; and in the light of this, a flexible approach should be taken in the possible future negotiations to give an appropriate consideration to the sensitive products each countries has, and that the negotiations should lead to substantial liberalization of market access of each country. The two countries have come to share common understanding about Japan having sensitive products in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and leather/footwear business, mining and food processing industries while Chile has sensitive products in manufacturing sector. Japanese side revealed by way of example that its sensitive products in agriculture, forestry, fisheries sectors include rice, wheat and barley, meat, milk products, sugar, starch, fruits and their products as well as preparations of them among agricultural products, salmon, trout, sea urchin, tuna and other Import Quota items of fishery products, and wood products like plywoods. In the meantime, on November 19, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met with Prime Minister Paul Martin of Canada in Busan, Korea and they signed a Japan-Canada Economic Framework. Under the framework, Japan and Canada will establish a Joint Study Working Group to conduct a joint study to examine the benefits and costs of further promotion of trade and investment, as well as other cooperative issues between the two countries. The joint study will be completed within twelve months of the date of its commencement, and a report will then be submitted to the Japanese and Canadian Prime Ministers. |
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