Japanese chief negotiator Kazuyoshi Umemoto told a press conference that they agreed to meet in Japan in the hope of reaching a final decision ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit to be held in Vietnam in November. Umemoto said that as a result of the Sydney talks, their shared understanding has progressed. At the Sydney talks, several countries proposed amendments or freezes to be made to some elements of the trade deal, particularly issues surrounding government procurement and the protection of pharmaceutical intellectual property.