Agriculture Minister Yoshio Yatsu agreed with his European Union partners Monday to pursue recognition of the multifunctional role of agriculture in a new round of trade liberalization talks, EU and Japanese officials said.
A spokesman for EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said that the meeting between Lamy and Japan's new agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister was "fruitful."
Yatsu and Lamy mainly discussed the position of agriculture in the context of a new round of trade liberalization talks to be held under the World Trade Organization and agreed "on the multifunctionality aspects," Anthony Gooch said.
Prior to the meeting with Lamy, Yatsu met with Franz Fishler, EU agriculture and fisheries commissioner, to discuss their negotiation positions for the round.