A delegation from the International Institute for Central Asia (IICA) paid a working visit to Tokyo to hold meetings and negotiations at the Japanese Foreign Ministry and establish partnership with leading Japanese think tanks and research institutes.

In particular, experts from Uzbekistan met with the Special Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for Central Asia, Mr. Masaki Ishikawa. Prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation and cooperation in the “Central Asia + Japan” format were discussed during the talks.

Masaki Ishikawa highly appreciated Uzbekistan’s initiatives to strengthen relations of trust, good neighborliness, and mutual understanding between Central Asian countries.

The parties expressed mutual interest in using the existing potential for cooperation within the framework of the “Central Asia + Japan” dialogue initiated by the Japanese side in 2004.

During the stay in Tokyo, the IICA delegation held several bilateral meetings with the leadership and experts of the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research, and the Slavic-Eurasian Research Center at Hokkaido University.

During the discussions, experts from Japan’s research centers made several proposals and initiatives to develop and deepen bilateral and multilateral ties. Special emphasis was placed on the need for close cooperation between the expert and analytical circles of Uzbekistan and Japan.

The IICA delegation also participated in a roundtable discussion on the prospects of cooperation in the “Central Asia + Japan” format, organized with the assistance of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Tokyo.

The participants discussed the essence and significance of Uzbekistan’s active neighborhood policy aimed at increasing cooperation with the region’s countries in the political, trade-economic, transport, and cultural-humanitarian spheres, as well as on issues of regional interaction and the climate agenda.