<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/11/04/business/tpp-leaders-meet-sidelines-apec-forum-summit-philippines/#.VjoX1LerS70" style="color: purple;" class="">http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/11/04/business/tpp-leaders-meet-sidelines-apec-forum-summit-philippines/#.VjoX1LerS70</a><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 1.5pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 25.2pt; background-color: rgb(251, 251, 251);"><b class=""><span style="font-size: 24pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">TPP leaders to meet on sidelines of APEC forum summit in Philippines<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-transform: uppercase;" class="">KYODO<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt; background-color: rgb(251, 251, 251);" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">NOV 4, 2015<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt; background-color: rgb(251, 251, 251);" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""> </span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt; background-color: rgb(251, 251, 251);"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">The leaders of 12 countries involved in the recently sealed Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade initiative will meet later this month in the Philippines to ensure early implementation of the pact, a government source said Wednesday.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt; background-color: rgb(251, 251, 251);"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">The meeting will be held on the sidelines of a two-day summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum from Nov. 18 in Manila, according to the source.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt; background-color: rgb(251, 251, 251);"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Japan, the United States and 10 other countries reached a broad agreement a month ago on the Pacific Rim free trade deal that covers 40 percent of the global economy and sets rules on international trade, investment and the handling of intellectual property.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt; background-color: rgb(251, 251, 251);"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Some other countries such as South Korea are also interested in joining the Pacific trade initiative.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt; background-color: rgb(251, 251, 251);"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">The 12 participating nations will need to finalize the text of the treaty before the accord can be readied for formal approval in the respective jurisdictions, leading to eventual ratification.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt; background-color: rgb(251, 251, 251);"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">The leaders of the 12 nations, all members of the APEC forum, will welcome the agreement in a joint statement to be issued after their meeting, which will be the first since November last year.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt; background-color: rgb(251, 251, 251);"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Some countries are facing a major challenge to bring the agreement into force smoothly.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt; background-color: rgb(251, 251, 251);"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">U.S. lawmakers, for example, are seen as reluctant to discuss the accord aggressively, as the matter could be a drag on domestic employment ahead of next year’s presidential election.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt; background-color: rgb(251, 251, 251);"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">The TPP nations initially sought to sign the deal at the meeting in Manila. But the later-than-expected broad agreement made that difficult.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt; background-color: rgb(251, 251, 251);"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">TPP members also include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><br class=""></span></div></body></html>