TOKYO, August 27. /Dunyo IA/. Chairman of the Japan-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Friendship League, former Prime Minister and Member of the House of Representatives Taro Aso has conveyed his sincere congratulations and best wishes to the people of Uzbekistan through Dunyo IA on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence:

- On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the people of Uzbekistan.

Japan was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Uzbekistan in 1992, immediately after the country gained independence. Since then, relations between our two countries have steadily developed across a wide range of areas, including politics, the economy, culture and people-to-people exchanges.

The friendship between our peoples, which forms the foundation of strong bilateral relations, is rooted in longstanding ties, including the interaction between Japanese internees and local residents in Uzbekistan, symbolized by the State Academic Grand Theatre of Uzbekistan named after Alisher Navoi. Looking further back into history, from ancient times through the Middle Ages, numerous cultural and technological achievements travelled from Central Asia to Japan along the Great Silk Road, exerting a significant influence on Japan’s history and society. I am pleased to note that, thanks to these historical connections, our countries and peoples remain close friends today.

As a longstanding friend of Uzbekistan, as well as a statesman and parliamentarian, I have always sought to strengthen the friendly relations between our countries. Since my first visit to Uzbekistan as a Minister in 1997, I have had the honour of visiting your country on numerous occasions, and I fondly remember the warm welcome I received on each visit. One particularly cherished memory is being awarded an honorary doctorate by the Banking and Finance Academy of Uzbekistan.

I would once again like to express my gratitude to President of Uzbekistan for his visit to Japan in December last year, following his previous visit in 2019.

I welcome the successful first summit of heads of state within the framework of the “Central Asia + Japan” Dialogue, as well as the high-level meeting, business forum and other events. As Chairman of the Japan-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Friendship League, it was a great honour for me to meet with President of Uzbekistan again after six years, together with members of the League, reaffirm our traditional friendship and engage in a fruitful exchange of views on the prospects for developing bilateral relations, including interparliamentary cooperation.

I am also pleased to note that the 5th Japan-Uzbekistan Interparliamentary Forum was held in Tashkent in May this year, and that a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Liberal Democratic parties of the two countries. These developments demonstrate the further active expansion of interparliamentary cooperation between Japan and Uzbekistan.

Japan attaches great importance to its relations with Uzbekistan and has for many years implemented projects aimed at advancing bilateral cooperation in areas such as infrastructure development, human resources training and the improvement of the legal system. This year, decisions were also made to implement projects under the Japan Development Scholarship (JDS) Program, as well as initiatives to promote energy conservation in public facilities and industry. We intend to continue our cooperation with Uzbekistan, with particular focus on the three priority areas of cooperation between Japan and Central Asia identified at the summit within the framework of the “Central Asia + Japan” Dialogue: “Environment and Sustainable Development,” “Human Capital Development” and “Transport Connectivity.”

In addition, people-to-people exchanges between our countries have become increasingly active in recent years. More than 7,000 Uzbek citizens currently reside in Japan, where they are successfully contributing in various fields, including studying at universities, working as highly skilled professionals and participating in technical internship programs. Thanks to direct air connectivity, Uzbekistan is also becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination among Japanese visitors.

In the business sector, there is a growing trend of Japanese companies entering the Uzbek market. We welcome the development of cooperation across a broad range of areas, including renewable energy, infrastructure, digital technologies, education, healthcare, manufacturing and mining. We are convinced that economic relations with Uzbekistan, a country experiencing rapid population growth and dynamic economic development, will become increasingly important.

Taking this opportunity, I would also like to congratulate President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the 10th anniversary of his assumption of the current office. Under the leadership of President of Uzbekistan, the strengthening of trust among the countries of Central Asia is contributing to enhancing the region’s position in the international community, and we highly value these efforts. I would also like to express my respect for the consistent implementation of large-scale reforms under the New Uzbekistan Development Strategy and the “Uzbekistan–2030” Strategy, which are contributing to the country’s dynamic development.

Bilateral relations between our two countries will continue to acquire increasing strategic importance. As Japan and Uzbekistan will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year, I intend to continue making every effort to further develop Japan-Uzbekistan relations, which are built on a long history of friendship and cooperation.

I wish the President and the people of Uzbekistan good health and happiness, and Uzbekistan continued development and prosperity.

Photo from the archive of the Press Service of the President of Uzbekistan