Japan-ASEAN trade talks to reopen in April
Japan-ASEAN trade talks to reopen in April
Zakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Japan and Southeast Asia's trade ministers agreed to resume talks
on establishing a free trade agreement between the nations next
April and to include agriculture in the negotiations.
On Saturday separate talks with South Korea, led by Minister of
Trade Kim Hyun-chong, also led to an agreement to start a free
trade area with founders of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) by 2009 and 2014 for the remaining four members.
The founding members are Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, the
Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, while Cambodia, Myanmar,
Laos and Vietnam joined later.
The talks with China, represented by Minister of Commerce Bo
Xilai finalized agreements on trade in goods and services, and a
dispute settlement mechanism to be formalized in Laos. The ASEAN-
China free trade area is expected by 2010 for the six founding
nations and 2015 for the newer members.
The agreements were during the three-day 36th ASEAN Economic
Ministers' (AEM) Meeting.
Host Minister of Industry and Trade Rini MS Soewandi said the
ministers agreed to recommend to the leaders that ASEAN and Japan
commence negotiations in April 2005 and conclude talks within two
years from that date.
The ASEAN leaders will meet in a summit in Vientiane, Laos, in
November.
Officials here say the Japan-ASEAN talks have been hampered by
the "different positions" among the Japanese ministries of
foreign affairs; economy, trade and industry; agriculture and
fisheries; and finance. Moreover, officials said that Japan was
reluctant to open its agro-based product market.
However Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
Shoichi Nakagawa gave his assurance that he represented his
government and that the agricultural sector would be included in
the negotiation.
"There will be no a prior exception ...," Nakagawa said.
The six ASEAN founding members and Japan target a free trade
area by 2012, while the newer members by 2017.