Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Thai counterpart Prayuth Chan-ocha on Monday confirmed their cooperation to promote free trade as the Southeast Asian cou
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Thai counterpart Prayuth Chan-ocha on Monday confirmed their cooperation to promote free trade as the Southeast Asian country has expressed its readiness to join a regional trade pact Japan has been involved in.
In a news briefing after their meeting in Tokyo, Abe said Japan hailed Thailand’s willingness to enter the 11-member Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.
Japan has worked hard to conclude the TPP, following the withdrawal of the United States last year under President Donald Trump, and sought to expand the multilateral framework.
“Amid the spread of protectionism in the world, Japan agreed with Thailand, which leads the economic development in the Mekong region, on an early conclusion of the RCEP,” Abe also said, referring to another regional free trade pact involving 16 countries.
The 16 members — Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea plus 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations — are aiming for a broad agreement by the end of the year.
