BRUSSELS, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The European Union and Japan are set to reach their free trade deal on the eve of the upcoming G20 summit, aiming to send a "powerful" signal against trade protectionism, an EU spokesperson said Monday.
A free trade agreement in principle between Brussels and Tokyo was "within reach," said Alexander Winterstein, deputy chief spokesperson for the European Commission, the bloc's executive arm.
Brussels and Tokyo are seeking to hammer out their free trade accord on Thursday, a day before the G20 summit scheduled on July 7-8 in Germany's Hamburg, when the EU is to gear up for advocating openness against Washington's current protectionism policy.
Two EU Commissioners were sent to Tokyo over the weekend to move obstacles, mainly in agriculture and auto sectors, in a bid to secure such a deal on Thursday, when EU and Japan are to hold a summit in Brussels.
President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk, the European Council president, are currently assessing whether the conditions were met for the summit, Winterstein told a regular press briefing.
"We are hopeful, we are confident, but we are not yet certain," he said.
Although staying cautious, the spokesperson stressed that such a deal would stand strongly against protectionism.
"One thing is for sure, an agreement between the EU and Japan...will help shape globalization and send a powerful signal," the spokesperson added.
The EU and Japan launched negotiations on a free trade agreement in March 2013.
