Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed a basic accord for a free-trade agreement Monday but left tough talks on stickier issues for the months ahead.
The two leaders, who met in Vientiane, Laos, on the sidelines of the summit for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, put off a decision about how many Filipino nurses and caregivers Japan is ready to accept, Japanese negotiators said.
"I cannot say whether the final agreement will actually specify how many workers Japan will accept," said an official at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.