Saturday March 11, 2006

Japan, Chile to accelerate FTA negotiations

(Kyodo) - Chilean President-elect Michelle Bachelet and Hidenao Nakagawa, policy chief of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, agreed Friday that the two countries should accelerate efforts toward signing a bilateral free trade agreement, Japanese officials said.

Nakagawa is visiting Chile to attend Bachelet’s inauguration ceremony on Saturday as a special representative of the Japanese government.

During Friday’s meeting, Nakagawa told Bachelet that the ongoing FTA negotiations are the most important bilateral issue and expressed hopes for the trade pact to be sealed in time for the 110th anniversary of the signing of the Japan-Chile amity and trade treaty next year.

Bachelet, who will become Chile’s first female president, echoed the view, saying she wants to see the proposed trade accord concluded as soon as possible.

She also pledged her country’s continued support for Japan’s bid to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.

The two did not talk about issues related to former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, the Japanese officials said. Fujimori, who has Japanese citizenship, arrived in Santiago unexpectedly in November following five years of self-imposed exile in Japan. He is currently being detained in the Chilean capital.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and outgoing Chilean President Ricardo Lagos agreed in November to launch formal FTA talks.