- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

EU, Japan Agree to Speed Up Talks on Free Trade Deal

© REUTERS / Eugene Hoshiko/Pool(L-R) French President Francois Hollande, European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi share a light moment as they gather for Japan EU EPA/FTA meeting at the summit of the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations in Shima, central Japan, May 26, 2016
(L-R) French President Francois Hollande, European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi share a light moment as they gather for Japan EU EPA/FTA meeting at the summit of the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations in Shima, central Japan, May 26, 2016 - Sputnik International
Subscribe
Japan and EU leaders agreed on Thursday to speed up talks on a free trade pact between Tokyo and the European Union, the European Commission announced in a statement.

G7 foreign ministers (L to R) EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini, Canada's Foreign Minister Stephane Dion, Britain's Foreign Minister Philip Hammond, US Secretary of State John Kerry, Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italy's Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and France's Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault walk together after placing wreaths at the cenotaph at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum in Hiroshima, Japan April 11, 2016. - Sputnik International
Japan, EU Partners Confirm Intention to Swiftly Conclude Free Trade Deal
MOSCOW (Sputnik) The EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement (EU-Japan FTA) seeks to tear down trade barriers between the two partners that together account for more than a third of the world's gross domestic product.

Speaking at the G7 summit in Ise-Shima, leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Britain, Japan, and senior EU officials said they would "instruct their respective negotiators to accelerate the negotiations."

They underscored the strategic importance of the pact that they hope would boost growth and create more jobs, and reaffirmed their commitment to reach agreement "in principle" as early as possible this year.

Negotiators last met in Tokyo in April 2016 to discuss trade in goods, services, trade barriers, and investment. The next meeting is scheduled for this September.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала