Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida has a message for Latin America: Tokyo will strive to "boldly" expand free trade through its participation in Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations.
In a speech Monday in Mexico City on Japan's engagement in Latin America, Kishida stressed Japan's intention to seek mutual prosperity by forging stronger ties with the region's countries, which are undergoing rapid economic growth.
Meanwhile, he agreed with Mexican Foreign Secretary Jose Antonio Meade and Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo in separate talks to strengthen bilateral coordination in the TPP negotiations, which Japan is expected to join in July and which participating countries are aiming to conclude by the end of this year, Japanese officials said.