Negotiations Under Way

Students from the MAAPPS program and from 一橋大学 are currently holed up in a hotel just inside of Niigata Prefecture on the border with Nagano Prefecture participating in a simulation of a Canada-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement. Two and a half days into the negotiations and with only tonight and tomorrow morning to go, there are pairs of students negotiating in many corners and on lobby sofas in the hotel.

Unfortunately, the internet connection in this hotel is slightly shaky, so more detailed posts on results and reflections on the project will have to wait until we’re in reach of a better connection again.

While the intensity of the activities is exhausting, participants clearly seem to enjoying themselves as well. The fact that we’re in a hot springs resort certainly helps.

My current prediction is that there still is a good chance that one of the teams might walk out of the negotiations due to insurmountable differences. Demands for a liberalization of Canadian financial services and investments in natural resources are proving to be especially difficult topics.