Japan, Indonesia agree to begin talks on FTA
AFP, Tokyo
Japan and Indonesia agreed on Wednesday to begin negotiations over a free trade agreement (FTA) as early as next month, as Tokyo tries to secure regional clout through trade deals in Southeast Asia. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is on a four-day visit to Japan, reached the understanding on the FTA talks in a meeting with Trade Minister Shoichi Nakagawa, an official said. "The actual negotiations at a working level will start as early as July," said the official at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Yudhoyono will announce a formal agreement on the beginning of the FTA talks at a summit scheduled Thursday, according to the official. The Indonesian leader later Wednesday held a largely ceremonial meeting with Emperor Akihito who expressed condolences over the Indian Ocean tsunamis which killed close to 129,000 people in his country. Yudhoyono also held talks with Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura and toured Japan's disaster preparedness center.
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