Japan and the United States plan to hold the first of their vice ministerial-level talks, called the Economic Dialogue, in Tokyo next month, trade sources said Wednesday.
The dialogue is part of a new framework for bilateral economic talks set up by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and U.S. President George W. Bush during their summit in Camp David, Md., in late June.
The dialogue is intended to set the overall direction of the two countries' partnership through informal meetings at least once a year to address bilateral, regional and international issues.
The coming meeting will deal with, among other issues, the pressing concerns of how to revitalize the Japanese economy and differences over the proposed new trade round, expected to be launched at the World Trade Organization ministerial meeting in November.