Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Kozo Igarashi
on a Successful Conclusion of
the Japan-U.S. Autos and Auto-parts Talks

29 June 1995

1. The Government of Japan welcomes the fact that the Japan-United States Consultations on Autos and Auto Parts have reached a successful conclusion without setting a so-called numerical target, due to the sincere and enormous efforts of both Japan and the United States. This success will not only benefit Japan and the United States, but will also contribute to maintaining and strengthening the multilateral free trading system under the WTO. I would also like to commend all the officials concerned of the United States Government for the realistic approach they took during the process leading up to this conclusion.
2. The Government of Japan is convinced that this successful conclusion represents a significant achievement of the Japan-U.S. Framework Talks, and will further promote the cooperative relationship between Japan and the United States. It is true that there was a gap between Japan's stance and that of the United States during the Consultations on Automobiles and Auto Parts. Therefore, it is particularly significant that efforts taken by both Japan and the United States made it possible to bridge the gap through dialogue.
3. Needless to say, it is one of the major principles of the Japan-U.S. Framework Talks that the results of these consultations will be shared equally with third countries on a most-favored-nation basis. The Government of Japan is convinced that this achievement will have a positive influence on the world echonomy as a whole.