In a significant departure from its traditional trade policy, Japan will open formal negotiations with Singapore by the end of this year on concluding a free-trade agreement between the two Asian countries, government sources said Thursday.
The sources said, however, that Japan will open the FTA negotiations with Singapore on condition that the politically sensitive agricultural sector be excluded, in principle, from the bilateral trade pact. Singapore is expected to accept the condition.
The sources said that Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and his Singaporean counterpart, Goh Chok Tong, are expected to formally declare the opening of the FTA negotiations when they meet in Singapore in late November.