Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US Democratic Party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton affirmed the importance of the Japan-US alliance but reiterated their contrasting positions on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement.

A senior Japanese official said that in a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday, Abe and Clinton stated their respective "known positions" on the 12-nation TPP, according to Japan's (Kyodo) News Agency.

Abe is believed to have called for a speedy implementation of the yet-to-be ratified pact, while Clinton is thought to have reiterated her opposition to the deal, a position she adopted during her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination despite having promoted it as secretary of state during President Barack Obama's first term. 

Source : QNA