"Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue
Third Foreign Ministers' Meeting
Joint Press Release

August 7, 2010

The Third Foreign Ministers' Meeting within the framework of the "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on August 7, 2010. Mr. Vladimir Norov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Chair); Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan; Mr. Kanat Saudabayev, Secretary of State - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Mr. Ruslan Kazakbaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; Mr. Hamrokhon Zarifi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan; and Mr. Soltan Pirmuhamedov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to the Republic of Uzbekistan, (hereinafter "the delegates") attended the meeting.

1. The delegates expressed approval for the fact that various efforts had been undertaken under the "Action Plan" adopted on the occasion of the Second Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue, which was held in Tokyo in June 2006. During the Third Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the delegates confirmed the progress of the "Action Plan" for the "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue.
2. The delegates confirmed the importance for Central Asian countries to jointly tackle problems that are common to the region and promote regional cooperation in order to realize regional stability and prosperity. They also confirmed the significance for Japan and Central Asia to continue their efforts on (i) the peace and stability of Central Asia, (ii) the strengthening of democracy, (iii) the improvement of economic infrastructures, promotion of reforms, and social development, and (iv) the strengthening of intra-regional cooperation by the Central Asian countries, through the framework of the "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue, based on basic policies including "respect for diversity," "competition and cooperation," and "open cooperation." Japan highly appreciates the Central Asian countries' efforts to promote intra-regional cooperation. The delegates from the Central Asian countries appreciate highly Japan's participation in this process. The delegates shared the view that they would continue to give priority to measures promoting intra-regional cooperation.
3. A consensus was built among the delegates that sustained dialogue among the countries in the region for regional stability and prosperity was essential in responding to various threats coming from outside the region and to problems that were common to the region. In this regard, the delegates shared the view that they would hold a Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) annually within the framework of the "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue and utilize the meeting as a forum to exchange views in a timely manner.
4. Japan announced that it would provide continual support towards the stabilization of Central Asia, with the understanding that long-term self-sustaining development and the maintenance of peace and stability as an open region will be in the interest of Eurasia as a whole, and that its position of supporting the Central Asian countries' on these endeavors remains unchanged.

   The delegates appreciated the Kyrgyz Republic's efforts to stabilize domestic politics, and to reconstruct socio-economic sectors and infrastructures, and promote national reforms. In light of the importance of the stabilization of the situation in the Kyrgyz Republic, the delegates expressed their intention to continue providing necessary assistance.

   The delegates also shared the view that it was important to expand partnerships between Japan and Central Asia on the maintenance and development of good relations between Central Asia and its neighboring regions and between Central Asia and the international community, as well as on regional and global issues.

5. Noting that Central Asia was still facing a high level threat of terrorism and narcotics, the delegates pointed out the importance for the Central Asian countries to jointly tackle these threats. Based on this understanding, Japan announced its intention of strengthening its support for measures against terrorism and narcotics, the improvement of border-control capacities, human resources development and capacity building. The delegates from the Central Asian countries expressed high appreciation for Japan's efforts. The delegates reaffirmed their commitment to international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and confirmed the importance of improving regional nuclear security. On this, Japan welcomed the signing in 2006 by all the countries in the region of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia and the subsequent entry into force of the treaty in 2009 as an effort to realize the peace and stability of the region. Japan expressed the hope for the early implementation of talks among countries concerned, including nuclear weapon states, so that the treaty could function in an effective manner.
6. Japan announced that it was prepared to support the promotion of economic exchanges between Japan and Central Asia, and to provide continual support for the development of transport and logistical distribution infrastructures contributing to the economic development of each country, the promotion of commodity distribution in the region, and the strengthening of coordination with economic zones outside the region, given the importance of creating a large-scale market in Central Asia by deepening intra-regional cooperation, in addition to the economic development of each country and the importance of realizing cooperation that would promote stable regional development and deepen mutual cooperation in the economic field. Japan noted that these issues were important given the potential of Central Asian countries and the possibility of the entire region growing and prospering as one.

   The delegates reaffirmed the necessity of promoting exchanges between businesses in Japan and Central Asia, and the importance of efforts made by Central Asian countries to improve trade and investment environments and disseminate information. Japan announced that it was prepared to convene a Japan-Central Asia Economic Forum, to be participated in by Japan and the five Central Asian countries, with the aim of promoting trade and investment relations with Central Asian countries. Japan also confirmed the effectiveness of existing networks to develop environments for investment, established with some Central Asian countries for business matching, and expressed its intention to consider expanding networks with other Central Asian countries.

   The Japanese side expressed its intention to support the introduction and widespread use of renewable energy sources with low environmental load in Central Asia, and its hope that Japan's cooperation would contribute to environmental presentation and sustainable development in the region.

   The Japanese side announced that it would implement assistance towards climate change mitigation as announced in December 2009 to be carried out by 2012 in developing countries - in order to steadily advance international negotiations on the establishment of a fair and effective international framework in which all major economies participate and to make agreements on ambitious targets.

   The delegates confirmed that they would cooperate for the success of the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP16), to be held from November 29 to December 10, 2010 in Cancun, Mexico. They also confirmed that each country, in light of the results of COP15, among other matters, would cooperate so as to establish a fair and effective international framework in which all major economies participate.

   In addition, the delegates agreed that they would continue making efforts so that more countries would support the Copenhagen Accord.

7. The delegates confirmed that the SOM would be organized by the next host country of the Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue. They also confirmed that the next Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue would be held in Japan. The dates of the meeting and the SOM shall be decided through diplomatic channels.
8. The delegates expressed appreciation to the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan for its hospitality and the good environment it facilitated for the holding of the Third Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue.

• Vladimir Norov , Minister of Foreign Affair, Republic of Uzbekistan
• Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan
• Kanat Saudabayev, Secretary of State - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Kazakhstan
• Ruslan Kazakbaev , Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kyrgyz Republic
• Hamrokhon Zarifi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Tajikistan
• Soltan Pirmuhamedov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to the Republic of Uzbekistan