Japan agrees with Malaysia, Thailand to reach FTAs early

Asian Economic News, Nov 29, 2004

VIENTIANE, Nov. 28 Kyodo

Japan agreed respectively with Malaysia and Thailand during foreign ministerial talks on Sunday that they should conclude a bilateral free trade agreement as early as possible, Japanese officials said.

Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura met separately with Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Alber and Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings.

Japan and Malaysia are holding FTA negotiations to narrow differences over key issues such as abolishing tariffs on automobiles and plywood and seek an agreement by the end of this year.

Machimura and Sathirathai agreed Japan and Thailand should sign an FTA as soon as possible, the officials said.

Japan and Thailand also aim to conclude their FTA negotiations by the end of this year.

Machimura and Hamid also discussed the need to cooperate in fighting piracy in line with an antipiracy agreement 16 Asian countries, including Japan, and ASEAN signed in Tokyo earlier this month.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.