Japan-Turkmenistan Relations
Foreign Minister Kishida Pays a Courtesy Call on the President of Turkmenistan
On April 30, commencing at 10:54 a.m. (local time) for approximately 50 minutes, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, paid a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, President of Turkmenistan, during his visit to Turkmenistan. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
1. Opening remarks
Foreign Minister Kishida expressed his pleasure at being the first Japanese foreign minister to visit Turkmenistan and requested President Berdimuhamedov’s continued support for the promotion of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. President Berdimuhamedov stated that Turkmenistan considers its relationship with Japan to be of great importance and holds Japan’s contributions through the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue in high esteem. President Berdimuhamedov also expressed his hope for the success of the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for the following day.
2. Bilateral relations
President Berdimuhamedov stated that it is important to further develop bilateral economic relations and expressed his intention to thoroughly follow up on the 2015 visit by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Foreign Minister Kishida stated that Japan also considers the steady implementation of the agreements reached by Prime Minister Abe and President Berdimuhamedov on the occasion of Prime Minister Abe’s visit to Turkmenistan in 2015 to be of the utmost importance and that the Government of Japan will continue to aim for their steady implementation, mainly in the areas of the economy and human resources development.
3. Regional affairs
Concerning the situation in North Korea, Foreign Minister Kishida stated that North Korea’s launch of yet another ballistic missile immediately after the United Nations Security Council held discussions on the denuclearization of North Korea is a direct challenge to the international community and can absolutely not be tolerated. Furthermore, Foreign Minister Kishida stated his intention to work together with Turkmenistan to ensure that North Korea renounces its nuclear and missile programs, including ensuring the effectiveness of the United Nations Security Council resolutions (PDF)
. Foreign Minister Kishida also sought understanding and support regarding the abductions issue. In response, President Berdimuhamedov expressed Turkmenistan’s strong support for all of Japan’s efforts, as well as Japan’s position.