16th Central Asia + Japan Dialogue Senior Officials Meeting Held in Astana
On May 14, 2024, Astana hosted the 16th meeting of senior officials from the participating states of the Central Asia + Japan dialogue. The event saw the participation of leaders from the foreign ministries of Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and the Ambassador of Tajikistan to Kazakhstan.
The officials discussed the preparations for the upcoming Central Asia + Japan Dialogue Summit, scheduled to take place in Astana this summer. The agenda and draft final documents for the Summit were reviewed in detail. Discussions also covered the current state and future prospects for strengthening regional cooperation in various sectors, including trade, economic development, transport, and humanitarian efforts.
In her speech, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan N. Nurbaeva highlighted the significant progress in cooperation between Central Asian countries and Japan in recent years. She emphasized new priority sectors for cooperation, such as environmental sustainability, enhancing connectivity among countries, and human resource development.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to maintain ongoing working contacts on all relevant issues.
Background: The Central Asia + Japan Dialogue (CAJD) was established in 2004 at Japan’s initiative. From 2005 to 2022, 15 meetings of the Senior Officials’ Dialogue were held at the deputy foreign ministers’ level. In 2024, Kazakhstan is the chair of the CAJD.
