Japan, Brunei to hold talks toward free trade agreement next week in Tokyo
The Associated Press | 26 October 2006
Japan, Brunei to hold talks toward free trade agreement next week in Tokyo
TOKYO — Japan and Brunei will hold talks next week in Tokyo toward a free trade agreement, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
The two Asian countries, which have been negotiating since earlier this year, will hold comprehensive talks, as well as separate meetings on each sector to be covered by a pact, including goods and services, investment, energy and customs procedures, during the four-day talks beginning Monday, the ministry said in a statement.
The two countries are also expected to discuss wordings of a pact.
In December, former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah agreed to start negotiations with an aim to sign a free trade pact that would cut tariffs and other trade barriers.
The talks are part of Japan’s recent push to expand similar pacts through Asia.
Japan has signed FTA with several countries, including Singapore, Mexico and Malaysia, and most recently, Japan earlier this month agreed with Vietnam to launch trade talks.
