Ukraine, Japan start to negotiate free trade agreement

Ukraine has started negotiating a free trade agreement with Japan with the aim of abolishing most import duties to strengthen their economic ties.

“The scale of the financial assistance provided by the Japanese government since the declaration of independence is impressive. As of today, it is more than $3 billion,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Yenin at a forum titled “Asia Strategy in Action. The Role of Ukraine-Japan Cooperation.” The Ukraine-Japan forum took place in Kyiv on Feb. 16 with speakers mostly participating remotely because of the coronavirus.