Kishida visits Central Asia

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will visit Kazakhstan in August, according to a report by "Nippon."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi announced today, June 26, that the Prime Minister will attend a summit involving the leaders of five Central Asian countries.

"Cooperation with Central Asian countries is now more crucial than ever to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order based on the rule of law," said Hayashi.

In recent times, Japan has focused significantly on developing relations with Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. In early December 2022, the Central Asia Investment Forum was held in Tokyo, featuring participation from regional authorities and business representatives.

In March of this year, Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov met with Prime Minister Kishida, agreeing to closely collaborate on furthering cooperation in preparation for the upcoming "Central Asia-Japan" summit.