Summary of the 4th Round of Negotiations on the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement

February 29, 2008
Japanese

The 4th round of negotiations on the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) was held from February 25 (Mon) to 29 (Fri) in Tokyo.
In this round, Mr. Masaharu Kohno, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, as chief negotiator, Mr. Hidenori Murakami, Vice Minister for International Affairs, Mr. Sumio Kusaka, Deputy Director General, Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Masakazu Sakaguchi, Deputy Director General, Customs and Tariff Bureau, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Toshihisa Takata, Deputy Director General, Trade Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Mr. Kazuo Haraguchi, Counsellor, Minister's Secretariat, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as well as other officials from relevant Japanese ministries, and Mr. Peter Gray, Deputy Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and officials from other relevant departments of Australia respectively participated.
In this round, useful discussions were held in each area including trade in goods and services, investment, government procurement and energy and mineral resources.
The 5th round of negotiations will be held in Canberra in late April, 2008. The detailed schedule will be determined through diplomatic channels.