Japan hopes to sign FTA with Mexico soon, eyes negotiations with SKorea

Japan hopes to sign FTA with Mexico soon, eyes negotiations with SKorea

Agence France-Presse
Tokyo

Japan's trade minister said on Friday he believed a free trade
agreement (FTA) with Mexico could be concluded when President
Vicente Fox visits later this month.

Closing an FTA with Mexico "is very significant. I believe the
agreement can be reached when President Fox visits Japan on
October 15," Trade Minister Shoichi Nakagawa told a press
briefing.

Japan and Mexico started free trade talks last November after
Koizumi met Fox at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in
October in the Mexican resort city of Los Cabos.

The sensitive issue of agricultural trade delayed signing of
the deal, however.

If concluded, the agreement would be Japan's second free trade
pact after the signing of an accord with Singapore in January
last year, removing import and export tariffs on 98 percent of
goods traded between the two nations.

Fox will pay a state visit to Tokyo and the second city of
Osaka from Oct. 15 to 18.

Japan and Mexico are expected to launch a final round of
working-level negotiations from on Monday in an effort to clear
the hurdles before Fox's visit, Kyodo News agency said, without
citing sources.

Japanese foreign ministry officials declined to immediately
comment on the issue.

Nakagawa also told reporters he wanted to start FTA talks with
South Korea soon.

"By forming an FTA, I hope our ties as neighboring nations
will become stronger," he told reporters.

"I want to start government-level negotiations as soon as
possible."

His comment followed a report issued on Thursday by a panel of
Japanese and South Korean officials, business people and
scholars, recommending that the two nations start FTA talks.

The panel said such a deal would benefit both nations and
contribute to stability and prosperity of East Asia.