Japan hopes Mexico does not really intend to discontinue ongoing negotiations for a free-trade agreement by the end of March as it proposed last week, both the trade and foreign ministers said Tuesday.

"We do not intend to cut off the talks from our side and also hope that Mexico is not serious about cutting off the negotiations (by the deadline)," Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Shoichi Nakagawa said at a news conference.

Nakagawa made the comment after Mexican Economy Secretary Fernando Canales said Thursday that the Mexican government would stop negotiating if the two countries fail to reach a deal by the end of March.

"I'm aware that Mexico will not cease the negotiations at the end of March," Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi told a news conference. She also suggested that Canales' remarks seemed to be a Mexican negotiation tactic.

On the timing of a deadline, Nakagawa said it would be desirable to strike the free-trade pact before the House of Councilors election in July.

"Since sensitive issues in the negotiations become larger as the Upper House election nears, we hope to seal the agreement as soon as possible," Nakagawa said, referring to farm products.

Japan and Mexico will hold a two-day meeting at the vice-minister level in Tokyo starting Thursday to try to get the stalled negotiations back on track.

Nakagawa said the upcoming talks will be worthwhile but reiterated Japan's position that the two countries should go ahead with the negotiations based on the agreements they reached in marathon ministerial talks in Tokyo in October.

Mexico has refused to stick to the October agreements and made fresh proposals.

Japan and Mexico had planned to sign an FTA during President Vicente Fox's visit to Japan last October.