Japan and Uzbekistan commit to intensifying collaboration in the economic security sector
Japan and Uzbekistan have agreed to hold a summit meeting, marking a significant step towards enhancing cooperative ties between the two countries. The decision was made during the first strategic dialogue between the foreign ministers of Japan and Uzbekistan, which took place in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and his Uzbek counterpart, Bakhtiyor Saidov, agreed to enhance cooperation on economic security, specifically strengthening supply chains for critical minerals. The strategic dialogue will be held every two years, alternately by each country.
The proposed summit meeting will include leaders from Japan and Uzbekistan, without specifying the identities of the other four Central Asian countries. The leaders expected to participate in the summit with Uzbekistan and Takeshi Iwaya from Japan include Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the Iranian President, among other heads of state and government from Asia and the Middle East.
The summit meeting is not limited to economic security, but may involve discussions across various fields such as politics, trade, investment, economics, culture, and tourism. Saidov expressed Uzbekistan's willingness to deepen cooperation with Japan across various fields, as did Iwaya, who stated Japan's intention to further strengthen cooperative ties with Uzbekistan to enhance a free and open international order based on the rule of law.
The proposed summit meeting is part of Japan's efforts to further strengthen cooperative ties with Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries. It is an opportunity for the two countries to discuss and deepen cooperation across various fields, as expressed by Saidov during the first strategic dialogue.
No specific date has been announced for the proposed summit meeting between leaders from Japan and five Central Asian countries. However, it is planned to be held at an early date. The summit meeting will involve leaders from Japan and Uzbekistan, as well as leaders from four other Central Asian countries. The agreement reached during the first strategic dialogue marks a significant milestone in the relationship between Japan and Uzbekistan, and the upcoming summit meeting is expected to further strengthen this relationship.
