The Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito reached policy agreements in five key areas Friday, bringing the second-largest opposition party a step closer to the coalition government, officials of the two parties said.
Yukihiko Ikeda, the ruling party's policy affairs chief, and his New Komeito counterpart, Chikara Sakaguchi, exchanged a written memorandum on the policy accord, which covered the economy, social security, national security, education and the environmental.
New Komeito is scheduled to join the LDP and its existing coalition partner, the Liberal Party, in the ruling alliance in late September. The accord paves the way for the two parties to begin three-way policy coordination with the Liberal Party.