The Council of the European Union has authorized the European Commission to start negotiations with Japan about concluding a free trade agreement, said Foreign Minister János Martonyi at the press conference following the session of the Foreign Affairs Council on November 29.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister stated that the ministers decided to provide the authorization following a long and thorough debate; Hungary also supported the decision. He added that this was the most important achievement of the session. 

„We succeeded in dispelling the worries of those member states that wanted to have guarantees with respect to certain industries, basically the car manufacturing industry,” – János Martonyi informed the press. He stressed that talks were only just beginning and that it would be a long process lasting perhaps several years.

Minister Martonyi declared that the Hungarian approach was to support free trade agreements unless they harmed very specific and concrete Hungarian economic interests. „We are not afraid of free trade” – János Martonyi pointed out, adding that he was particularly satisfied with the decision since „it would not have been a positive message to delay the starting of the negotiations” with the third largest economy of the world.

Foreign Minister János Martonyi also expressed his hope that the ongoing talks with Canada about concluding a free trade agreement could be closed successfully in a couple of months.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)