Japan and the European Union are arranging to hold a summit in late March in Tokyo to declare the launch of formal negotiations on a free-trade accord, government sources in Nagata-cho and Europe revealed.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy are set to announce the inaugural round of talks on an economic partnership agreement at the summit, which may be held March 25, the sources said Saturday.
The initial discussions to forge an EPA between Japan and the 27-nation bloc, which together account for around 30 percent of global gross domestic product, will be attended by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, among other senior EU officials, the sources said.