EU urges quick trade talks after Japan vote

European Union president Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso on Monday congratulated Japan's Shinzo Abe for his sweeping election win while urging the swift opening of trade talks. "On behalf of the European Union please accept our congratulations on your success on the occasion of the recent parliamentary elections," the two said. "We look forward to further strengthening relations between Japan and the European Union, in particular to the opening of negotiations on a deep and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement," they added in a statement. "Above all, we wish to affirm our continued friendship and solidarity with the people and government of Japan. EU trade ministers last month agreed to the launch of negotiations on a massive free trade deal between the two economies. Once concluded, EU officials say such a mega-size deal could increase the bloc's gross domestic product by almost one percentage point, boost EU exports to Japan by one third, and add 420,000 extra jobs across the continent.