Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the 3rd Meeting amongst Main Ministers on the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), at the Prime Minister's Office.
During the meeting, a briefing was given on the Japan-EU EPA negotiations.
Based on the briefing, the Prime Minister said,

“Negotiations on the Japan-EU EPA were conducted at the ministerial level over the weekend. Working as one, the Government held discussions towards concluding an agreement on the fundamental elements of the EPA. While meaningful progress was made during the negotiations, there still remain important issues that need to be addressed by both parties.

Taking this into consideration, I instructed Minister Kishida, who is in charge of the overall coordination of the negotiations, to depart from Japan this evening and engage in negotiations in Brussels.

It is extremely important to realize an agreement on the fundamental elements of the Japan-EU EPA as early as possible, and for Japan and the EU to raise the flag of free trade, amidst the current global trend towards protectionism.

The EU comprises a huge market, with 30% of global trade and a population of 500 million, which is four times that of Japan. We must protect areas that should be protected, such as agriculture and agricultural products, and, with regard to the EU market, we must be assertive in areas where we should be assertive. Moreover, the Japan-EU EPA is also significant in terms of advancing Japan’s growth strategy.

I would like the relevant ministers to work together closely and to engage in the negotiations with their utmost efforts, right until the very end, in order to achieve the best results for Japan’s national interests.”