The Ninth Round of Negotiations on the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

August 7, 2007

1. The ninth round of negotiations on the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP) Agreement will be held from August 7 (Tue) to 9 (Thu) in Manila, the Philippines.

2. The negotiations will be attended on the Japanese side by officials concerned from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; and on the ASEAN side by representatives of the Member Countries and others.

3. At the negotiations, the participants will discuss such issues as the liberalizing of trade in goods and the draft of the AJCEP Agreement.

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