Japan proposes first-ever Central Asia-Japan summit

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) – Japan has proposed hosting the first-ever Central Asia-Japan summit, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtileu announced during talks in Astana with top Japanese diplomat Takeshi Iwaya on Monday.

“The Tokyo side has taken a new initiative and proposed holding the first Central Asia-Japan summit. It has received full support from our side,” Nurtileu told reporters, without specifying the date or venue.

He underlined that Kazakhstan and Japan enjoy “excellent” relations and are committed to expanding long-term cooperation.

“Raising relations between Kazakhstan and Japan to a new level is a very important priority in our foreign policy and long-term development,” he said.

Talks with Japan's Foreign Minister Iwaya also focused on energy cooperation, education, and disaster prevention.

“Strengthening measures to prevent emergencies were discussed in detail. We would like to express our gratitude to the Government of Japan for its grant of $2 million for the development of a flood prevention system,” Nurtileu noted.

He added that Kazakhstan is ready to host branches of leading Japanese universities and expand cooperation in sectors such as food security, industrial projects, pharmaceuticals, human resources, and information technology.

Japan will also provide a non-refundable grant to victims of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, while a direct Almaty-Tokyo flight is scheduled to begin in 2026.

Kazakhstan’s president is expected to pay an official visit to Japan later this year. Japan remains one of the top 10 investors in the Central Asian country.