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�鶹��ý Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya, Justice Department Antitrust Division Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, and the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) Commissioner Reiko Aoki met yesterday in Washington, D.C., to mark the 25^th anniversary of the signing of an agreement between the United States and Japan concerning cooperation on anticompetitive activities.

“I want to thank Commissioner Aoki and the Japan Fair Trade Commission for being here today to commemorate this historic agreement,” said FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya. “The cooperation between the United States and Japan on competition issues extends back to 1976, long before this agreement was signed, making it the US antitrust agencies’ longest-running bilateral consultations with any foreign competition agency. Our long and productive relationship reflects a mutual commitment to foster and enhance competition cooperation to the benefit of both countries, and the United States is grateful for this continuing relationship.”

“The Japan Fair Trade Commission is one of our closest and most important international partners,” said Assistant Attorney General Kanter. “We are grateful to the JFTC for our long history of sharing best practices, discussing common challenges, and working together on competition issues affecting both of our countries.  We look forward to continuing our close relationship with the JFTC in the future.”

"Challenges to competitive markets, domestically and globally, have evolved since the Agreement was signed, the first such agreement for JFTC," said JFTC Commissioner Reiko Aoki. "The evolution of technologies and markets is proof of our successful cooperation in maintaining well-functioning markets. I would like to thank AAG Kanter and Commissioner Bedoya for this opportunity to celebrate our success and confirm our commitment for the next quarter century and beyond.