Colombia announced its intention to reinvigorate negotiations with Japan on an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and seek to conclude the agreement. Following President De la Espriella’s inauguration, remarks by the president and a meeting between Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu (茂木 敏充) and Minister Gómez led to an agreement to reinvigorate the negotiations.
Colombia’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism announced a policy of reinvigorating EPA negotiations with Japan and seeking to conclude the agreement. The negotiations, which began in 2012, have stalled, but the ministry indicated its intention to break the deadlock.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu (茂木 敏充) met with Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism Gómez during the latter’s visit to Japan, and they agreed to work toward reinvigorating the EPA negotiations.
In a speech on the 30th, President De la Espriella highlighted the achievement, saying, “We were able to take an important step toward breaking the deadlock,” and expressed expectations for increased investment by Japanese companies.