Japan, EU to agree on early conclusion of free trade talks

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Tuesday in Tokyo, where they are expected to agree on boosting cooperation toward concluding free trade talks at an early date. The annual summit between Japan and the European Union was initially slated for March but postponed due to the financial crisis in Cyprus, according to Japan's (Kyodo) News Agency. Japan and the 28-country bloc launched free trade negotiations in March and have held talks three times since April. Japan is eager to conclude a deal as soon as possible as the European Union already has a free trade accord with South Korea.