India-Japan conclude negotiations on CEPA, but agreement not to be signed
October 22nd, 2010 - 10:17 pm ICT by ANI
New Delhi, Oct.22 (ANI): India and Japan will announce the conclusion of negotiations of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) during Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s three-day visit to Japan which begins on Monday. However, the final agreement will not be signed during the visit.
“The negotiations on CEPA have concluded. There is a fairly lengthy complex”legal scrubbing” taking place on both sides,” Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters here today while briefing them
about Prime Minister’s forthcoming three nation trip toJapan, Malaysia and Vietnam.
“The agreement signifies the economic alignment of two of the largest economies in Asia and would lead to a marked increase
in our business and economic ties,” Nirupama Rao said and described the CEPA as “a win-win proposition” for both countries.
India has already signed similar CEPA agreement with Singapore and SouthKorea.
The purview of Agreement with Japan is wide-ranging and comprehensivewhich includes market access, tariffs, trade in services and investments.
The CEPA agreement between the two countries has concluded following over twelve rounds of negotiations.
Once the free trade agreement (FTA) between India and Japan is operationalised, as many 9,000 products-ranging from steel and
apparel to drugs and machinery are expected to be traded either without duty or at substantially reduced tariffs.
The pact would keep a number of items, sensitive to the agriculture and employment-oriented sectors, out of the purview of
both the countries.
Each side will have a negative list of items on which duties will not be reduced. India’s list would be bigger, with 8 per
cent of the tradable items under the pact included in it while Japan would skirt about 3 per cent of its merchandise.
Expressing satisfaction over conclusion of the negotiations of CEPA , Nirupama Rao said the Japanese Ambassador to India and
foreign ministry have explained that”there is a certain procedure we have to go through , in diplomacy you haveto deal with realities.”
Manmohan Singh will hold wide-ranging talks with his Japanese counterpartNaoto Kan in Tokyo on Monday and will also call on the Emperor and Empress.
“They will also discuss Japanese involvement in major infrastructure development projects in India, such as the Dedicated
Freight Corridor and Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor,” Nirupama Rao informed. (ANI)
- India, Japan to sew up economic accord, n-supply pact not ready - Oct 22, 2010
- India, Japan conclude talks on economic partnership agreement - Oct 25, 2010
- Finally, India and Japan to ink trade agreement in January - Nov 12, 2010
- Manmohan Singh lands in Tokyo for annual summit - Oct 24, 2010
- India-Japan economic pact comes into force - Aug 01, 2011
- India, Japan close to nuke deal; to ink trade deal in February - Jan 17, 2011
- India, Japan aim for $25 bn trade by 2014 (Lead, changing dateline) - Feb 16, 2011
- India, Japan close to nuke deal; to ink trade deal in February (Lead) - Jan 17, 2011
- CII welcomes India-Japan comprehensive economic partnership agreement - Feb 16, 2011
- Prime Minister to embark on three-nation Asia tour on Sunday (Part I) - Oct 22, 2010
- India, Japan signs CEPA to boost trade - Feb 16, 2011
- 'India not gaining from trade pact with South Korea' - Jun 24, 2011
- India to sign CEPA with Japan on Feb.16, CECA with Malaysia - Feb 10, 2011
- PM heads East this Sunday to bolster economic ties - Oct 22, 2010
- India, Japan implement economic pact; aim to double trade (Lead) - Aug 01, 2011
Tags: alignment, cepa, dr manmohan singh, economic partnership agreement, economic ties, foreign ministry, free trade agreement, fta, hav, japanese ambassador, largest economies, manmohan, manmohan singh, market access, negotiations, New Delhi, nirupama rao, pact, purview, tariffs