30 September 2016, 22:45 GMT
TOKYO (Sputnik) – Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called on the country's parliament to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal, signed in February, before other states.
"We could provide an impetus for the entry of this agreement into force by approving it in parliament faster than other countries," Abe said.
He added that that way Japan would prove its mission as a country that developed its economy through free trade.
Abe calls for early ratification of the TPP, which was signed in New Zealand's Auckland on February 4 by 12 countries and awaits ratification for entry into force.
The Japanese government's desire to ratify the treaty fast is due to the upcoming US presidential election, which may complicate the issue since both candidates claim to oppose the ratification of the agreement.
