S. Korea, Japan pact may miss deadline

Tue, 01 Nov 2005, 00:00 WIB | Source: AFP

SEOUL: South Korea and Japan are unlikely to reach a free
trade agreement this year because of Tokyo's stalling, South
Korean Finance Minister Han Duck-Soo said.

"If Japan maintains its passive attitude toward further
liberalization of the agricultural sector for the conclusion of
the FTA, I doubt that we will be able to see a positive outcome
within this year," Han told journalists

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and South Korean
President Roh Moo-Hyun had set a goal of working out a free trade
agreement (FTA) by the end of 2005.

Seoul is pushing Tokyo to open up its markets to 90 percent
for agricultural products while Tokyo is offering only 50 percent
to protect its farmers, Han said. -- AFP

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