Japan and the United States will probably not reach an agreement by the end of September -- a self-imposed deadline -- in the ongoing bilateral civil aviation talks, Transport Ministry officials said Sept. 25.
However, they said the two governments expect to continue the talks and possibly hold the next session in October. "It is difficult to reach an agreement by the end of September," a ministry official said.
Earlier in the day, Masahiko Kurono, vice transport minister, told a news conference it is impossible to reach an agreement during the remaining itinerary of the current round of talks. The comments came one day before the end of a five-day vice ministerial-level meeting that began Sept. 22 in Tokyo to negotiate ways to expand the aviation market in the Asia-Pacific region.