On Tuesday, the Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan met with their Japanese counterpart for a special video conference of the Central Asia plus Japan Dialogue. During the call, the diplomats primarily focused on the current global health crisis, regional cooperation, humanitarian assistance, and the repatriation of citizens from foreign countries, while also touching upon other conversations about economic activity and business mobility.
In the 5+1 format, the external ministers discussed aspects of regional cooperation between the Eurasian countries as well as with Japan during the coronavirus pandemic. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said that Tokyo was providing nearly 2 billion yen of grant aid for medical equipment, as well as technical assistance, medical supplies, and information-sharing on infectious diseases to the Central Asian countries to aid their battle with the health crisis. The five leaders welcomed this decision and thanked Motegi for his assistance.
The parties further discussed the need for a modernized economy in Central Asia. “The economic and technological assets of Japan are of great interest – they can be applied in the modernization of the economy of Central Asia as a whole, and through the implementation of joint projects,” a statement from Kazakhstan reads. The ministers also agreed to develop recommendations for trade and investments projects, especially in the agro-industrial sector involving Japanese businesses for the next Dialogue.
Motegi, who chaired the conference, said in his address that Tokyo would be contributing as a “catalyst” towards the development of the five Central Asian states. He further noted that it is crucial to maintain diplomatic momentum for cooperation and dialogue that had been strengthened at the last iteration of the Dialogue held in May 2019 in Tajikistan. The meeting also included preparatory talks for the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Japan, which will take place in 2022, and will be an opportunity for the five countries to demonstrate their solidarity and for Japan to encourage these efforts in a post-pandemic situation.
The first Central Asia plus Japan dialogue was held in Nur-Sultan in 2004. At the time, Tokyo was the first government to begin a 5+1 engagement with the Central Asian nations, which is now commonly practiced by the United States, the European Union, South Korea, and, most recently, China. In May, Beijing held a video call for its first-ever 5+1 format multilateral dialogue with the Central Asian states. As a prominent trade and investments partner in the region, China has previously preferred to deal with the countries on a bilateral basis. Through existing frameworks under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Beijing already engages with these countries multilaterally, but usually in the presence of other states. The regional format marked a new point in the relations between China and the region.
Japan Plus Central Asia Dialogue Held via Video Conference
Attending foreign ministers discussed an ambit of issues facing the region
August 14, 2020
Foreign Ministers of the participating nations at the 6th Japan Plus Central Asia conference in 2017 SOURCE: ASIA-PLUS