09/09/2012
Vladivostok, Russia – “We, the Leaders of Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam, noting the progress our countries have achieved in 13 rounds of TPP negotiations, reaffirm the commitments we made in Honolulu in November 2011 to concluding a comprehensive, next-generation regional agreement that liberalizes and promotes trade and investment, and addresses new and traditional trade issues and 21st-century challenges. Based on the significant advances our negotiators have made in the four negotiating rounds and other intersessional meetings since Honolulu, we are confident that this goal is within our reach. The conclusion of the TPP will provide a promising pathway for free trade across the Asia-Pacific, support the creation and retention of jobs in our markets, boost our competitiveness, promote economic growth throughout our region, and advance our development goals.
“We agree to renew our efforts to conclude the negotiations expeditiously so that our manufacturers, service providers, farmers, ranchers, workers, and consumers can begin reaping as soon as possible the considerable benefits we anticipate from this agreement. In doing so, our negotiators should carefully consider, synthesize, and reflect the wide-ranging views they have received from their stakeholders. We also recognize the challenges of negotiating this ambitious, next-generation trade agreement in a manner that appropriately balances our diversity. Toward this end and as they begin the 14th round of negotiations this week, we have instructed our negotiating teams to direct their energies at promptly finding pragmatic, creative, flexible, and mutually-acceptable solutions to the remaining issues under negotiation.
“We welcome Mexico and Canada as new TPP partners following months of detailed consultations that confirmed their commitment to the high level of ambition we are seeking to achieve in the TPP while not slowing progress toward conclusion. We view their entry into the negotiation as a reaffirmation of the potential of this initiative and a notable step in expanding our current partnership of nine countries to others across the Asia-Pacific region. Meanwhile, we have directed our negotiating teams to continue discussions with other Asia-Pacific partners that have expressed interest in joining the TPP in order to facilitate their possible future participation.”
