Europe
Overview of the Strategic Practitioner Invitation Program (Invitation of Young Diplomats from Central Asia and Caucasus) for FY 2025
March 11, 2026
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited eight young and mid-career diplomats from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to visit related facilities in line with this year's theme, "Social Media Usage Techniques and Ethics for Diplomats," during February 15 to 22. They also held discussions with relevant government officials and experts. The overview is as follows.
- During their stay, the diplomats with relevant officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the Cabinet Public Affairs Office (Office of Global Communications). They received briefings on the communications and initiatives of Japanese government agencies and exchanged views. During the visit to Sophia University, they attended a lecture on public relations theory and participated in lively discussions. During the visit to the Embassy of Georgia in Japan, Ambassador Lezhava explained his experience serving as an ambassador and approaches to leveraging social media.
The diplomats explained the current state and challenges of government public relations in their respective countries.
- They visited the National Diet Building, the Imperial Palace, the National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, and learned about Japanese politics and history.
- The diplomats also went on a local study tour (Osaka and Kyoto). In Osaka, they visited the Osaka Prefectural Government Building for a building tour and received briefings about the city, how to promote its attractions, and how to use social media. In Kyoto, they visited Japan's historical and cultural facilities to deepen their understanding of Japan's history and traditional culture.
- After the invitation, the diplomats expressed their desire to utilize the knowledge and perspectives they gained through this invitation, including Japan's approach to public diplomacy, culture, and history, to promote future relations between Japan and the Central Asia and Caucasus.