Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the country will join the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations.

Abe said at a news conference on Friday that he decided on the highly divisive issue after studying various opinions.

He said the United States and Europe are starting talks for a bilateral economic partnership, and South Korea and other emerging Asian economies are also opening their markets. He added that Japan cannot expect more growth if it alone remains inward-looking.

Abe said this is Japan's last chance to join the TPP talks, and that missing it would leave the country behind in global rule-making efforts.
He said 2 years have passed since the negotiations began, and that as a latecomer, Japan will undeniably have a hard time changing what has already been agreed upon.

The TPP talks involve 11 Asia-Pacific nations, led by the United States.

The prime minister said his government will convey its decision to all countries involved.

Mar. 15, 2013 - Updated 10:04 UTC (19:04 JST)