Japan, U.S. to Continue Efforts for TPP Effectuation

Lima, Nov. 17 (Jiji Press)--Japanese and U.S. foreign ministers reaffirmed Thursday the importance of continuing efforts to have the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact take effect at an early date. At a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in Lima, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that the administration of President Barack Obama has not given up on the TPP. Kerry made the remark in response to Kishida's suggestion that the U.S. Congress ratify the pact before Donald Trump, who vowed to pull out of the 12-nation free trade deal during his campaign, becomes the president of the United States in January. The U.S. ratification is critical in order not to reverse the trend toward open trade, Kishida stressed. Kishida also told Kerry that the significance of the Japan-U.S. alliance will remain intact under the Trump administration. They then shared the necessity of strengthening the alliance at a time when North Korea is going ahead with nuclear and missile programs and China is stepping up efforts to take control of the South and East China Seas. Kishida and Kerry are in this Peruvian capital to attend a ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. END