ТOKYO, December 23. /Dunyo IA/. Japan and the five Central Asian states - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - have agreed to develop a transport corridor linking the region with Europe, according to Japan’s leading news agency “Kyodo News”, cited by Dunyo IA correspondent.

In Tokyo, Japan hosted its first-ever summit in the “Japan-Central Asia” format with Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan at a time when Russia and China are seeking to expand their trade and economic influence in the resource-rich region.

In a bid to strengthen economic relations, Japan and the five countries adopted the "Tokyo Declaration," focusing on decarbonization, logistics facilitation and cooperation on human resource development, including Uzbekistan.

"The international situation has changed drastically, and the region's importance is growing as a trade route connecting Asia and Europe," Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said at the outset of the meeting.

The "Caspian Sea route" is intended to provide stable supplies of critical minerals, including rare metals, as well as energy sources such as oil and natural gas.

Takaichi told reporters after the gathering that Japan plans to launch new business projects worth a total of 3 trillion yen ($19 billion) in Central Asia over five years and that the countries also agreed to cooperate on artificial intelligence.

“Central Asia has great significance and potential in terms of geopolitical importance, economic security and mutually beneficial business opportunities, - she said. - I'm glad that more than 150 public- and private-sector documents were signed on this occasion”.

Since launching a dialogue framework with the five former Soviet republics in 2004, earlier than China, Russia and the United States, Japan has held 10 foreign ministerial meetings, holding a high-level summit marks an important step, demonstrating that cooperation has now reached a qualitatively new level.

https://english.kyodonews.net/articles/-/67211