Japan and five Central Asian countries held their first summit in Tokyo on Saturday, December 20, announcing a series of new cooperative initiatives, including strengthening critical mineral supply chains.
At the “Central Asia + Japan Dialogue” (CA+JAD) summit, leaders in attendance included Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takichi, Kazakh President Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Zaparov, Tajik President Rahmon, Turkmen President Berdimuhamedov, and Uzbek President Mirziyoyev.
The statement from the Japanese Prime Minister’s office highlighted that the cooperative initiatives between Japan and the five Central Asian countries encompass three recently identified priority areas: green and resilient development, connectivity, and human resource development.
According to the statement, cooperation in green and resilient development covers areas such as energy transition, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and strengthening critical mineral supply chains. Connectivity cooperation includes further development of the “Trans-Caspian International Transport Route” and the launch of the “Japan-Central Asia Artificial Intelligence Partnership.”
The statement also noted that both sides agreed to collaborate in the field of health and medicine, setting a goal to initiate commercial projects worth 30 trillion Japanese yen (approximately 190 billion US dollars) within the next five years.
Prime Minister Takichi stated: “Over the past 21 years, with the changes in the international situation in Central Asia and its surrounding regions, the influence of Central Asia on the international stage has been increasing.”
She emphasized the importance of Central Asia, being at the crossroads of the Eurasian continent, possessing abundant energy and mineral resources crucial for economic security, and having significant potential for economic and population growth.
The statement mentioned that more than 150 documents were signed and submitted during this summit, covering both the public and private sectors.
Takichi also held one-on-one meetings with leaders from Central Asia.