Ukraine has officially requested to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), according to statements by Japanese and New Zealand officials.
The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that they received Ukraine’s official application for membership on May 5. The further steps of the application process are decided by all current members of the CPTPP. A meeting to decide is planned for July 16 in Auckland, New Zealand.
The CPTPP originally consisted of 11 countries: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, with Great Britain recently becoming the 12th member. In addition to Ukraine’s application, applications from China, Taiwan, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Uruguay are pending.
Japan’s Minister of Economy, Sigeyuki Goto, stated at his regular press conference that as a member of the CPTPP, Japan has an obligation to thoroughly examine whether Ukraine complies with the high-level standards set out in the agreement.
Source: Reuters
Cover image: Getty Images
