Uzbekistan seeks strategic partnership with Japan

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Japanese Foreign Minister pays tribute at Islam Karimov’s mausoleum

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya visited Uzbekistan on August 26–27. During his visit, on August 27 in Tashkent, he and Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov announced the launch of a new format of high-level cooperation — the Strategic Dialogue of the Foreign Ministers of Japan and Uzbekistan — and held its first meeting. Following the talks, the ministers issued a joint statement consisting of 16 points.

According to the statement, the ministers emphasized that the decision to establish the Strategic Dialogue was made in view of the progress and consistent development of bilateral relations between Japan and Uzbekistan. They also noted that cooperation gained new momentum following the signing of the Joint Statement “On Further Deepening and Expanding the Strategic Partnership” on December 19, 2019.

“The ministers emphasized that the goal of the Strategic Dialogue is to strengthen mutual trust and strategic partnership between the two countries, as well as to promote long-term, constructive, and mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as politics, security, trade, investment, economic security — including supply chain resilience — energy, food security, manufacturing, innovation, healthcare, education, labor mobility, culture, and people-to-people exchanges,” the statement said.

The ministers also highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation between their respective ministries, saying this would help sustain high-level political dialogue and enhance exchanges between parliaments, governments, ministries, and other agencies. Such dialogue and cooperation were recognized as a key factor in the dynamic development of bilateral relations.

Iwaya and Saidov welcomed growing economic cooperation between Japan and Uzbekistan and noted significant untapped potential for increasing trade and investment. They agreed to expand and diversify trade and economic cooperation, explore new opportunities in industrial and technological sectors, and intensify efforts in energy — including renewable energy sources — as well as transport and logistics infrastructure development.

“The ministers reaffirmed their readiness to strengthen investment cooperation, noting the expansion of Japanese companies’ activities in Uzbekistan, the development of joint ventures, and the introduction of advanced Japanese technologies in priority sectors of the economy,” the statement added.

The two sides also highlighted the potential for expanding cooperation in information technology, education, healthcare, science, innovation, the green economy, agriculture, food security, water resource management, and smart city development. Both ministers expressed interest in expanding personnel exchanges and strengthening ties between their peoples. Proposals were made to increase cooperation in culture, sports, tourism, regional relations, and diplomacy. They also underlined the importance of deepening collaboration in education and human resource development, including expanding academic exchanges, increasing scholarships, and supporting the study of Japanese and Uzbek languages.

Minister Iwaya praised Uzbekistan’s reforms, including economic liberalization and democratic transformation, and reaffirmed Japan’s continued support for the “New Uzbekistan” development strategy.

“The ministers recognized that international cooperation serves the interests of both countries and emphasized the need to strengthen collaboration within the United Nations and other international organizations,” the statement said.

The foreign ministers reaffirmed their support for expanding the UN Security Council to include additional permanent and non-permanent members. They recalled the December 19, 2019 joint statement between Japan and Uzbekistan and stressed the importance of maintaining mutual support to safeguard common strategic interests, as well as regional stability and security.

They also underscored the importance of an international order based on the rule of law, which promotes global peace and development, and expressed readiness to cooperate in this area. The ministers recognized the “C5+1” dialogue between Central Asia and Japan as an effective platform for multilateral cooperation and agreed to work closely to ensure the success of the first Central Asia–Japan Summit.

“The ministers emphasized the need for joint efforts to combat terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, organized crime, and other threats to regional and international security,” the statement read.

Iwaya and Saidov discussed a wide range of issues on the agenda of Uzbekistan–Japan cooperation. They highly valued the outcome of the first Strategic Dialogue meeting, describing it as the beginning of a new, high-level format for advancing cooperation in key areas and exchanging views on regional and international matters of mutual interest. The ministers agreed to hold Strategic Dialogue meetings every two years, alternating between Japan and Uzbekistan, as needed. The next meeting will be held in Tokyo, with its date and agenda to be decided through diplomatic channels.

On August 27, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev also received the Japanese delegation led by Foreign Minister Iwaya. The minister conveyed the greetings of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his congratulations on Uzbekistan’s Independence Day.