TOKYO - Those hoping for a free trade agreement with Japan to complement current agreements with the United States and Europe would have to wait a few more years.

Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who is currently in Tokyo, proposed a Japanese-Israeli free trade agreement in a meeting Tuesday with senior local officials, who listened politely but made no promises.

On a brighter note, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi promised to seriously consider the matter. Meanwhile, Japan’s Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said the issue is a complex one, as Japan is already engaged in negotiations on free trade deals with other countries.

A gradual approach

During the session, the parties agreed that a comprehensive deal does not have to be finalized immediately, and that a gradual approach could be adopted instead. Israeli sources said a it is possible to strike an agreement that is not designated as a free trade deal, but resembles it in substance.

Until recently, Japan avoided signing bilateral trade agreements and focused on negotiating multilateral deals in the framework of the World Trade Organization, said Ronit Ken, who heads the Foreign Trade Administration at the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Labor.