Abe pushes EU trade deal

This agreement is necessary because we believe in free, fair and rules-based trade,” he added.

REALLY? WOW! I wonder just how many people believe your rhetoric? Right, these comments were made for the benefit of the domestic audience. Ya' know, gotta keep the bubble pumped up with air.

Not an "urge" a pledge I will await my "pledge" ring in the post. And the several "promise" rings I'm owed too.

The only country that will benefit from this deal will be Japan! It's businesses and industry will never allow the kind of open ended access the EU will be demanding and the EU and Abe both know that! However, with Brexit now a dead cert the EU will be desperate to have some good news for once and will delight in parading this so called new free trade deal in front of the UK's face during negotiations! Problem will be that with this eagerness to sign and get good news for once, the deal will more than likely be so one sided in Japan's favour the only one smiling will be Execs in Tokyo, not politicians in Brussels!

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged on Tuesday to seal a EU-Japan trade deal as early as possible in order to make an important stand against protectionism.

ANOTHER Abe pledge! Yawn..

We shall try to aim for agreement in principle on the (EU-Japan trade deal) at the earliest possible date because it will give the world a symbol of free trade,”

In the midst of troubling protectionist trends, I find it important for Japan and the EU to cooperate with the United States as well, to give the world a model of free trade,”

How he can say that with a straight face amazes me..

Trade talks between the EU and Japan began in 2014 and were at a point of near-collapse before Trump took office as U.S. president.

Juncker said the EU-Japan deal could be reached by the end of the year.

So they're going from near collapse to actual success in just one year? I don't think so. I could be wrong, but I'm going to bet that no way is the deal going to be sealed by the end of the year.

The only country that will benefit from this deal will be Japan! It's businesses and industry will never allow the kind of open ended access the EU will be demanding and the EU and Abe both know that! Excellent insight joyride! However, my gut feeling tells me that the deal will fall through.

However, with Brexit now a dead cert the EU will be desperate to have some good news for once and will delight in parading this so called new free trade deal in front of the UK's face during negotiations!

Very true, but while Brexit has both sides licking their wounds, the UK has been hurt much more than the EU and the EU already has a free trade agreement with S Korea. They can and SHOULD play hardball with Japan. Remember, Japan is smarting too after the collapse of the TPP. They need this trade deal even more than the EU does.

Problem will be that with this eagerness to sign and get good news for once, the deal will more than likely be so one sided in Japan's favour the only one smiling will be Execs in Tokyo, not politicians in Brussels!

That is a very distinct possibility, but I think that by and large the world as wisened up to Japan's one sided deals, and that's why I think that TPP failed and why this deal might fail too.

Well it's good he's making moves to secure and promote free trade. As a trading nation Japan is more exposed than most and the moronic trend towards protectionism should be resisted at all costs

He's not, that's the point

Where does it say that in the article..? Also the "protectionist backlash" is only occurring with the comical morons in America and not the rest of the world who are moving ahead with more trade integration. Even with Brexit, the major point of negotiation has moved from immigration to trade. As PM of a trade-exposed nation, Abe's moves here are the bare minimum of what would be expected as head of government so your bizarre and nonsensical opposition I think belies ulterior motives