Abe Flies to Brussels in Bid to Seal Japan-EU Free Trade Deal
- Both sides seek to burnish image as opponents of protectionism
- ‘The basic agreement is there,’ EU trade commissioner says
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on July 3.
Photographer: The Asahi Shimbun via Getty ImagThis article is for subscribers only.
Japan and the European Union are working against the clock to remove the remaining obstacles to a trade deal that would cover more than a quarter of the global economy, as they seek to burnish their image as opponents of protectionism.
After weeks of tough negotiations in Tokyo that cap four years of talks, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida is in Brussels for meetings with EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom. Both sides hope to unveil a broad agreement at a leaders’ summit on Thursday, ahead of a Group of 20 meeting in Hamburg the following day.