The First Formal Negotiations for the Japan-Singapore Economic Agreement for a New Age Partnership

January 26, 2001

1. The First Formal Negotiations for the Japan-Singapore Economic Agreement for a New Age Partnership will be held on January 31 (Wed) and February 1 (Thu) in Singapore.

2. The Negotiations will be attended on the Japanese side by Ambassador Kazuo Asakai, Special Envoy of the Government of Japan, as Chief Negotiator, and on the Singaporean side by Mr. Lim Chin Ben, Chairman of the Singapore Technologies Aerospace (former Ambassador to Japan), as Chief Negotiator.

3. The Negotiations are intended to deepen discussions on the basic issues.

   (Notes) On October 22 last year, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori of Japan and Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong of Singapore made a joint announcement that the two countries would enter into formal negotiations for the Japan-Singapore Economic Agreement for a New Age Parnership (JSEPA). The two Prime Ministers decided to begin formal negotiations for the Agreement in January 2001 and to conclude the agreement within a reasonably short period of time, but not later than 31 December 2001, so as not to lose momentum.

Related Information (Japan-Singapore Relations)