Joint Release with the Ministry of Foreign AffairsThe First Round of Negotiation for the Mongolia- Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (JMEPA) Held

1. The First Round of the Negotiations for the Mongolia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) was held from Monday, June 4 through Thursday, June 7, 2012 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
2. The Japanese delegation was led by H.E. Mr. Shinichi Nishimiya, Deputy Foreign Minister of Japan, and the Mongolian delegation was led by H.E. Mr. V. Enkhbold, Ambassador at Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Mongolia. Experts from relevant ministries and agencies from both sides participated in the meetings.
3. At the Opening Plenary for the First Round of Negotiations held on Monday, the Chief Delegates discussed and adopted basic Terms of Reference including scope of the negotiations. They also shared understandings on how to move the negotiation process forward. The scope of negotiations include broad range of issues such as Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, Rules of Origin, Customs Procedures, Investment, Intellectual Property, Competition, Cooperation and Improvement of Business Environment.;
4. Expert-level meetings for each issue of negotiations followed the Opening Plenary; negotiators from both sides had constructive discussions based on draft texts or discussion papers proposed by Japanese side in advance.
5. The next round of negotiations, the second round, will be held in Tokyo in fall. The details of the schedule will be arranged through diplomatic channels.

June 7, 2012

Economic Partnership Division, Trade Policy Bureau