Japan, Chile to Cooperate for Early TPP Enforcement

February 24, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, at their meeting in Tokyo Friday, underscored the importance of cooperating closely for early enforcement of the new Trans-Pacific Partnership deal excluding the United States.

Abe and Bachelet agreed to ask the existing 11 TPP member countries to move quickly forward with procedures to obtain parliamentary approval. A signing ceremony for the new free trade deal is scheduled to be held in Chile on March 8.

Abe told Bachelet that North Korea is repeating ship-to-ship cargo transfers at sea to avoid sanctions under U.N. Security Council resolutions.

The Chilean president promised cooperation to increase pressure on North Korea toward the reclusive nation's denuclearization.

Abe also asked Bachelet to promote quality infrastructure development by Japanese companies. In Latin American countries, China has recently expanded its presence in the infrastructure field.

The two leaders exchanged a memorandum of understanding on expanding a program to train administrative officers for disaster management, reflecting the two countries' shared experience of earthquakes and tsunami.

They also agreed on a bilateral accord to simplify procedures for Japanese nationals to obtain driver's licenses in Chile to improve the business environment for Japanese firms in the country. Jiji Press