DUSHANBE, July 17, 2014, Asia-Plus — Foreign ministers from the five Central Asian countries and Japan gathered in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, on July 16 for a conference known as the Central Asia plus Japan Dialogue.
According to the Tajik MFA information department, cultural, educational, business, and intellectual cooperation between the six countries were discussed at the gathering.
The sides also exchanged views on ways of ensuring further development of the Dialogue, providing security and sustainable development of region as well as cooperation in the field of agriculture, the source said.
The conference reportedly resulted in adoption of a joint statement of foreign ministers of the six nations and a roadmap for practical cooperation in the field of agriculture.
The Central Asia plus Japan Dialogue is a political initiative between Japan and the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, with the goal to create “a new framework for cooperation, thereby elevating relations between Japan and Central Asia to a new level.” The dialogue, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, is also meant to serve as a forum to promote inter-regional cooperation. Turkmenistan, maintaining its policy of neutrality, participates only as an observer.
The Dialogue was formally declared on August 28, 2004 in Astana, Kazakhstan at a meeting of foreign ministers from the four participating Central Asian governments and Japan. A joint statement was issued which outlined the parties” views on four areas: fundamental principles and values; expansion of Japanese-Central Asian relations; intra-regional cooperation within Central Asia; and cooperation in the international arena.
The statement also declared the dialogue”s main objectives: the strengthening of peace, stability, and democracy in the Central Asian region; the strengthening of the region’s economic foundations, the promotion of reform and the social development of the region, including the correction of intra-regional disparities; the strengthening of intra-regional cooperation by the Central Asian countries; the maintenance and development of good relations between Central Asia and neighboring regions as well as with the international community; and cooperation between Japan and Central Asia with respect to both regional issues and issues having international dimensions. The joint statement also outlined several areas of potential Japanese-Central Asian cooperation.
