Peru, Japan talk trade

Peruvian Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Garcia Belaunde said Wednesday that Peru hopes to ratify a free trade agreement with Japan by as early as mid-2010.

"Both countries have a strong political will towards the conclusion [of an FTA] so I do not see any significant obstacle in our negotiations," Garcia Belaunde told Kyodo News in Tokyo.

During his five-day visit to Japan, the Peruvian foreign minister and his Japanese counterpart, Hirofumi Nakasone, agreed Tuesday to launch preliminary talks on the so-called economic partnership agreement in late March. The two countries will likely hold only a single round of preliminary talks before entering full-scale negotiations, which may conclude by the year-end, Garcia Belaunde said.

-- Alan Field