Home > News > The Prime Minister in Action > December 2011 > Ministerial Meeting on Consultations with Relevant Countries Toward Participation in the TPP Negotiations
Ministerial Meeting on Consultations with Relevant Countries Toward Participation in the TPP Negotiations
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Photograph of the Prime Minister delivering an address at the meeting of the Ministerial Meeting on Consultations with Relevant Countries Toward Participation in the TPP Negotiations 1
Photograph of the Prime Minister delivering an address at the meeting of the Ministerial Meeting on Consultations with Relevant Countries Toward Participation in the TPP Negotiations 2
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda attended the first meeting of the Ministerial Meeting on Consultations with Relevant Countries Toward Participation in the TPP Negotiations held at the Prime Minister's Office.
Discussion took place on the report regarding the information gathered in Malaysia concerning the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement negotiations and on the framework for holding consultations with relevant countries toward participation in the TPP negotiations, among other matters.
Based on the discussion, the Prime Minister said, "I believe in order for the consultations with relevant countries toward participating in the TPP Agreement negotiations to yield a conclusion that is based on the national interest, it is necessary for all government offices and ministries concerned to carry out government-wide considerations and determine the national interest in view of the country as a whole.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has presented a report on the TPP negotiation intersessional meeting held in Malaysia among nine countries. To make further advancements, it was agreed today that a strong framework cutting across the ministries and agencies will be established within the Cabinet Secretariat. I hope the ministers concerned will support this framework with the Government working as one, and provide cooperation.
Bearing in mind also the opinions that the explanations and information provided to the people are insufficient for reaching a conclusion, the Government needs to make an overall effort to provide further explanations and information and to carry out a broad national debate.
With regard to the approach to information provision and the organization of the briefings, I believe we have agreed on the following points. We will, through wide-ranging consultations with relevant countries, clarify what it is that relevant countries seek from Japan. In this process, we will be sure to provide information and conduct a sufficient national debate, and on this basis, reach a conclusion indeed from the perspective of the national interest."
