日本政府、米経済圏構想参加へ　松野官房長官「前向きに検討」

　松野博一官房長官は１８日の記者会見で、バイデン米大統領が提唱する経済圏構想「インド太平洋経済枠組み」（ＩＰＥＦ）について「米国のインド太平洋地域への積極的なコミットメント（関与）を示すものとして歓迎しており、参加に向けて前向きに検討を進めている」と明らかにした。
　松野長官は「米国を含む形での地域の望ましい経済秩序構築に向け、日米で緊密に連携して取り組んでいく考えだ」と語った。一方、「米国のＴＰＰ（環太平洋連携協定）復帰が望ましいとのわが国の立場に変わりはない」と述べ、米国のＴＰＰ復帰を引き続き求めていく方針を強調した。（2022/05/18-12:00）

The Japanese government is positively considering joining the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a regional grouping proposed by U.S. President Joe Biden, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Wednesday.
   "We welcome (the IPEF) as demonstrating the United States' commitment to the Indo-Pacific region," Matsuno told a news conference.
   Matsuno said Tokyo and Washington will "work closely together to establish a desirable regional economic order involving the United States."
   U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Tuesday that Biden will announce the launch of the IPEF during a trip to Japan starting Sunday.
   Matsuno added that Japan will continue efforts to bring the United States back into the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal. "There is no change to our country's position that a U.S. return to the TPP is desirable," he said.