"Central Asia plus Japan" Intellectual Dialogue (Tokyo Dialogue)

March 27, 2006

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, cooperating with the National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA), will hold the "Central Asia plus Japan" Intellectual Dialogue (Tokyo Dialogue) on March 30 (Thu) in Tokyo (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
The Intellectual Dialogue is one of the five pillars of cooperation in the framework of the "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue, which was launched at the time of the visit to Central Asia by then Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi in August 2004. The Dialogue expands the width of the intellectual exchange between Central Asia and Japan, and it aims to obtain a proposal for talks at governmental level.
Specialists from the Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) and Japan will attend this Dialogue. They are expected to exchange views on the themes of "The Prospects for Regional Integration in Central Asia" and "The Relations between Central Asia and Countries Outside the Region". At an opening session, Mr. Yasuhisa Shiozaki, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, will make a speech as the representative of the host about Japan's policy toward Central Asia and expectation of the Tokyo Dialogue.

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