Japan eyes 'big progress' in talks on Asia-Pacific free trade area

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YOKOHAMA, Nov. 9 Kyodo -
Ministers from 21 Pacific Rim economies are expected to make ''big progress''
and propose a ''vigorous vision'' on the region's future in their upcoming
meeting, its Japanese co-chairs said Tuesday on the eve of the two-day talks in
Yokohama.
Referring to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum's long-term goal of
creating a region-wide free trade area, trade minister Akihiro Ohata told a
morning press conference in Tokyo, ''I hope we can seek consensus on the issue,
and make it a new start by achieving big progress.''
Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said he will work with other ministers ''to
ensure that a vigorous vision of the future of the Asia-Pacific region will be
proposed in a concrete way,'' speaking in English at a reception party held in
the evening.
At the party held at a hotel near the conference venue, over 250 ministers and
delegates were greeted by Kanagawa Gov. Shigefumi Matsuzawa and Yokohama Mayor
Fumiko Hayashi as hosts of the event, and served with cuisines including sushi
and dishes made using locally grown vegetables.
Ohata and Maehara will co-chair the APEC Ministerial Meeting from Wednesday in
the major Japanese port city, where trade and foreign ministers from the 21
APEC economies will discuss the ''possible pathways'' toward creation of the
so-called Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific.
During the meeting, the ministers are also expected to reaffirm the need to
resist trade protectionism and seek to further facilitate the flow of goods,
such as through the reduction of transaction costs, according to Japanese
officials.
The outcome will be reflected in discussions of APEC leaders on Saturday and
Sunday.
On the sidelines of the ministerial talks, Ohata is expected to meet separately
Thursday with Australian Trade Minister Craig Emerson and U.S. Commerce
Secretary Gary Locke, a Japanese official said.
Set up in 1989, APEC accounts for 52.7 percent of the world's gross domestic
product and 44.4 percent of global trade by value, according to the Japanese
government. It operates on the basis of nonbinding commitments.
Its members are Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea,
Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Russia, Taiwan, the United States
and seven members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations -- Brunei,
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
==Kyodo