貿易協定交渉で大詰め協議　茂木外相、５日に訪英

　茂木敏充外相は４日の記者会見で、５～８日の日程で英国を訪問し、トラス国際貿易相と両国間の新たな貿易協定の締結に向けた詰めの協議を行うと発表した。訪英は新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大で中断された閣僚外遊の再開となる。帰国時にはＰＣＲ検査など感染対策を講じることになっており、要人による今後の外国訪問の指針としたい考えだ。
　茂木氏は「日英間の円滑なビジネス継続のため、日・欧州連合（ＥＵ）間の経済連携協定（ＥＰＡ）に代わる新たな貿易投資の枠組みを迅速につくることは必要不可欠だ」と強調した。（2020/08/04-16:31）

Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tuesday that he will visit Britain for four days from Wednesday for the final stretch of negotiations on a trade deal between the two nations.
   Motegi told a press conference that he will hold the trade talks with British international trade secretary Liz Truss. This will mark the first overseas trip by a Japanese cabinet minister since the novel coronavirus pandemic broke out.
   After his return from Britain, measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, including a polymerase chain reaction test, will be implemented on Motegi in case he gets the virus during the trip. The Japanese government hopes to use the procedures to be carried out upon his arrival back in Japan as a precedent for future overseas trips by important figures.
   "In order to continue smooth business between Japan and Britain, we need to swiftly create a new trade and investment framework replacing the Japan-European Union economic partnership agreement," Motegi said.
   Motegi will also meet with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab for discussions on the situation in Hong Kong and how to stabilize the Indo-Pacific region amid China's growing maritime expansion. The two will also talk about the supply of novel coronavirus vaccines being developed in Britain to Japan.