Press Releases
Signing Ceremony and Japan- Uzbekistan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (Working Dinner)
March 8, 2024
On March 8, commencing at 7:50 p.m., for approximately 80 minutes, Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan held a working dinner with H.E. Mr. Bakhtiyor SAIDOV, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who was visiting Japan as a guest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The overview is as follows.
- Introduction
Minister Kamikawa welcomed Minister Saidov's first visit to Japan and expressed her gratitude for Uzbekistan's message of condolence over the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. She also stated that Japan and Uzbekistan have a historical friendship and are strategic partners in maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law.
In response, Minister Saidov expressed his gratitude for the invitation and his desire to deepen the existing cooperation with Japan in a wide range of fields.
The two ministers concurred to build up a multilayered concrete bilateral cooperation based on today’s discussion. - Bilateral Relations
Minister Kamikawa stated that Japan would continue to aim for concrete cooperation in areas such as people-to-people exchange, human resource development including study in each country, and effective use of workforce so that the people of both countries can feel connected. She also stated that she would like to encourage Japanese companies to expand their business activities into Uzbekistan.
In the area of economic cooperation, she stated that the note of the "Sustainable Economy and Social Development Support Programme Loan" was signed and exchanged last month, and hoped that this loan will contribute to Uzbekistan's fiscal consolidation and social stability.
In response, Minister Saidov expressed his gratitude for Japan’s support and his desire to further deepen bilateral relations, including in the areas of trade, investment and business. - "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue
Minister Kamikawa stated the cooperation has been accumulated over the past 20 years under the "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue and that, in light of the growing importance of Central Asia in recent years, she would like to expand cooperation in terms of both quality and quantity. Minister Saidov stated he also attaches importance to cooperation with Japan under this Dialogue.
The Ministers reaffirmed to continue to work closely together in preparation for the summit of the "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue to be held this year. - Regional and International Affairs
The Ministers also exchanged views on regional and international situations, including Central Asia, and confirmed that they would continue close coordination. - Prior to the working dinner, the Ministers signed and exchanged “Cooperation Program between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan." After the signing ceremony, Minister Kamikawa presented a casket of Kanazawahaku of Ishikawa Prefecture as a token of hope for the recovery of the areas affected by the Note Peninsula Earthquake. In turn, Minister Saidov presented the traditional outfit of Uzbekistan and Minister Kamikawa wore it. The Ministers started the working dinner in such an amicable atmosphere.