Authorities from Japan and New Zealand said on Friday that Ukraine has formally requested to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

According to a representative for the New Zealand foreign ministry, Ukraine’s formal membership request was received on May 5 by New Zealand, which serves as the partnership’s legal depositary.

The next steps in the application process would be determined by all members of the CPTPP, who are due to meet in the New Zealand city Auckland on July 16, the spokesperson said.

The CPTPP includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, with Britain becoming the 12th member state. China, Taiwan, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Uruguay all also have requests pending to join.

Japan’s economy minister, Shigeyuki Goto, told a regular press conference that Japan, as a CPTPP member, “must carefully assess whether Ukraine fully meets the high level of the agreement” in terms of market access and rules.