Ambassador Koji Tsuruoka is the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs in Japan, who served as Japan’s Chief Negotiator for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Accounting for two-fifths of world trade, it is arguably the world’s biggest free trade deal. Since 2002 he has also been Professor of International Relations at the Graduate Institute of Policy Studies.

Prior to his current role, Koji was the Deputy Vice Minister for Foreign Policy, the Director-General at the International Legal Affairs Bureau, and the Director-General for Global Issues. He was Deputy Director General of the Foreign Policy Bureau from 2003 to 2006.

He has served in embassies in Moscow, Washington and Jakarta, and was Chief Negotiator for services during the Uruguay Round. He was also the senior coordinator of the first international organisation division at the Economic Affairs Bureau. Koji was a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.

He has acted as Japan’s representation to many international conferences, including the preparatory committee of the International Criminal Court and, for informal meetings held during the 59th session of the UN General Assembly on the World Summit Outcome Document of 2005.