Japan-Kazakhstan Relations
Japan-Kazakhstan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
May 18, 2019
On May 18, commencing at 5:40 p.m. (local time; same day, 9:40 p.m. JST) for approximately 50 minutes, Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Beibut ATAMKULOV, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan during his visit to Tajikistan. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
1. Opening Remarks
Minister Kono expressed respect towards the achievements made in nation-building over many years by H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev, the first President of Kazakhstan, who resigned recently from the post of President. He stated that the strategic partnership relationship between the two countries has been elevated to a new level following Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Kazakhstan in 2015 and then President Nazarbayev’s visit to Japan in 2016, and conveyed his intention to continuously work with Minister Atamkulov to further strengthen the bilateral relationship.
2. Bilateral relations
(1) Minister Kono welcomed the Japan-Kazakhstan exchanges taking place in a wide range of areas, including the visit to Japan by Ms. Gulmira Issimbayeva, Deputy Chair of the Mazhilis, in March 2019 and the 7th Meeting of the Joint Commission of the Government and Private Sector of Japan and Kazakhstan on Economic Cooperation in Astana in June 2018. Minister Kono expressed his intention to accelerate people-to-people exchanges aiming at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, through host town and other initiatives. In addition, Minister Kono requested Kazakhstan’s effort to improve its investment environment in order to protect and promote the business of Japanese companies.
(2) Minister Atamkulov explained about Kazakhstan’s efforts in the fields of tourism and investment.
(2) Minister Atamkulov explained about Kazakhstan’s efforts in the fields of tourism and investment.
3. International Affairs
The two ministers exchanged views regarding international affairs, including the situation of North Korea and shared the view that they would work together closely on such matters.