Japan’s strategy minister due in Seoul for talks on free trade agreement
Yonhap | 6 Jan 2011
Japan’s strategy minister due in Seoul for talks on free trade agreement
SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Yonhap) — Japan’s national strategy minister was due in Seoul on Thursday for discussions mainly about the possibility of a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries, officials said.
Koichiro Gemba, Japan’s state minister in charge of national policy, is scheduled to meet with Seoul’s Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan and Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon on Friday for talks on all-around cooperation between the two countries, ministry spokesman Kim Young-sun said.
Gemba is expected to outline Japan’s position on a free trade deal with Seoul and seek South Korea’s views on an FTA, another ministry official said on customary condition of anonymity.
Japan is eager to strike the so-called economic partnership agreement with South Korea.
The sides have held preparatory talks to lay the groundwork for future negotiations on an FTA, but the discussions have made little progress due in part to South Korea’s large trade deficit with Japan and disagreement over how much Japan should open its agricultural sector.
