EU still hasn't fixed Japan trade deal problems with just DAYS to go until signing
EUROPEAN Union (EU) officials are desperately trying to fix issues with a proposed trade deal with Japan.
EU's Cecilia Malmstrom meets the Japanese Minister for Economy
The free-trade agreement is due to be signed later this week, but both sides are struggling to iron out the intricacies.
Negotiators have failed to make progress on securing outline agreements on opening up each other's markets.
Discussions about a deal between the European Union and Japan, two of the world's largest economies, have been ongoing since 2013.
We will negotiate with all our energy until the very end
However, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has suggested he is confident the deal can be struck.
He said it was "important to wave the flag of free trade" as US President Donald Trump takes an increasingly isolationist stance.
Mr Abe added: "This agreement is also important for our growth strategy.
"We will negotiate with all our energy until the very end to achieve the best deal for Japan."
The EU-Japan agreement is due to be signed later this week
Trade talks between both sides have been ongoing since 2013
Mr Abe is expected to meet Eurocrats in Brussels tomorrow, on the eve of Thursday's G20 summit in Germany.
He will hold talks with European Council president Donald Tusk and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.
A European Council spokesman said: "Leaders are expected to announce a political agreement on the EU-Japan free trade agreement."
EU trade chief Cecilia Malmstrom traveled to Japan last week
The EU's Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said she was "quite confident" that a broad agreement could be announced on Thursday.
She described the proposed deal as "good, fair, transparent and sustainable" following a visit to Tokyo last weekend.
And EU insiders said Mr Abe would only visit Brussels if both sides were certain the accord would be signed.