Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said Japan will lead Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks when senior trade officials from 11 TPP signatories gather in Japan in July.
“Japan has a vital role to step up the pace and advance the talks,” Abe told the ministers who attended the cabinet meeting on May 30.
Japan will chair the TPP-11 meeting in July, expecting to take place in Hakone, a lake resort near Tokyo.
At the May ministerial meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, the 11 TPP countries agreed to explore options on how the TPP deal is being implemented without the United States. They aim to decide on these at the November Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Hanoi.
Abe stressed, “Success or failure of the TPP implementation will determine the future of the global free trading system.’’