Staff Reporter:The first round of negotiations for the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) ends today (23May). It

was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from May 19 to 23. The opening session of the negotiation was attended by Mr. Ahasanul Islam Titu, MP, the State Minister of Commerce and the Japanese Ambassador in Bangladesh Mr. Iwama Kiminori.

In this round of negotiation, both sides exchanged their views on the method of negotiations and a broad range of negotiating areas such as Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin, Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation, Investment, Electronic Commerce and Intellectual Property.

This meeting was attended by, on the Japanese side, Mr. Taketani Atsushi, Ambassador in charge of Economic Diplomacy, Deputy Director-General, Economic Affairs Bureau of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and representatives from other relevant ministries, and on the Bangladesh side, Dr. Ahmad Munirus Saleheen, Chairman of Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission, and representatives from other relevant ministries.

Both sides decided to work on scheduling the dates of the second round of negotiations through diplomatic channels.

Biniyougbarta/SAM//