The “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue Summit will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan on August 9 and 10.
The event marks the 20th anniversary of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue, which was launched in 2004 at Japan’s initiative to foster cooperation between Japan and five Central Asian countries.
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is scheduled to visit Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia from August 9 to 12. During the summit with presidents of the five Central Asian countries in Kazakhstan, Kishida plans to announce an economic aid package for Central Asia, The Japan Times reports with reference to Japanese government officials.
Tokyo is aiming to strengthen ties with the Central Asian region through the assistance for sustainable economic development, The Japan Times reports.
Under the economic aid plan, Japan will help establish a trade route across the Caspian Sea that will link Central Asia and Europe bypassing Russia. Japanese technologies and loans are expected to be used for the processing of natural gas in Central Asia. Japan also plans to accept skilled workers from the region.
