Press Releases
The 8th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue (Online)
On Friday, April 15, commencing at 4:00 p.m. the 8thForeign Ministers’ Meeting of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue was held virtually for approximately one hour and half, chaired by H.E. Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan.
The Conference was attended from the Central Asian side by H.E. Mr. Ruslan Kazakbaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; H.E. Mr. Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan; H.E. Mr. Sardor Umurzakov, Deputy Prime-Minister, Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Mr. Adil Tursunov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan; and Mr. Vepa Hajiyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.
- During the meeting, Minister Hayashi and the representatives from 5 Central Asian countries exchanged views regarding efforts toward strengthening cooperation between Central Asian countries and Japan as well as situations in the region including Ukraine and Afghanistan.
- Noting the development of Central Asian countries in 30 years since their independence, Minister Hayashi stated that he believes that in cooperation with various partners in the international community, the free and open Central Asia has entered an era where it maintains and strengthens the international order based on the rule of law and aims toward sustainable development. He expressed Japan’s will to continue cooperation with Central Asian countries as a major and reliable partner for them. In response, the representatives from the Central Asian countries expressed their support for this idea, and thanked for the various forms of support Japan has provided in the field of healthcare, environment, border control, agriculture, human resource development, among others. They also expressed their hope for continued cooperation with Japan.
- In addition, Minister Hayashi strongly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a grave violation of international law, and pointed out that this is a unilateral change of the status quo by force and a serious situation that undermines the foundation of international order. He emphasized the necessity of a united response by the international community and affirmed to continue close communication with the representatives from the Central Asian countries. Furthermore, they reaffirmed to continue to work closely in various levels and areas toward the stabilization of Afghanistan, while making their own efforts by each countries.
- Minister Hayashi stated that he would like to host the next 9th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue in-person in Tokyo. The representatives from the Central Asian countries welcomed this proposal, and it was decided to continue to coordinate on the specific schedule.