Kazakhstan, Japan mark 25 years of diplomatic relations
Article of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Fumio Kishida
This year marks the 25th Anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and five Central Asian countries. Over the past 25 years Japan has always stayed close by when each Central Asian country exerted efforts to build a new state and supported them.
Circumstances in which the newly established countries found themselves and the help they needed after attaining independence differed, however, Japan had always stuck to one philosophy while supporting each Central Asian country. The most important thing for the newly established state is the creation of human resources. This opinion is based on Japan's own experience: after the end of WWII Japan was devastated. Having no mineral wealth, it managed to achieve tremendous success because Japan invested heavily into education and human resources development. After the bombing, my hometown Hiroshima was fully destroyed and only thanks to the continued efforts of those who survived it has reborn into a beautiful green city. It symbolizes the global culture and is visited by prominent people such as President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan Aslov Sirodjidin. It has also become the important place to realize the value of the world.
Japan strives to be the country that can help countries in the making develop their human resources. It also helps build infrastructure, including roads and electric power stations in the Central Asian countries. But that is not all. Japan trained interns and sent specialists who taught locals to support and build infrastructure. It also created training centers in order to train local specialists. Over these 25 years, Japan has trained 9,668 interns from Central Asia in various spheres and sent 2,587 specialists. Students from the Central Asian countries who pursued and obtained Master's degrees at Japanese universities with the support of Japan now hold senior government positions, including ministers and vice ministers and play an important role in the state building.
Along with the importance of human resources development, Japan has always advocated for regional cooperation. In 2004, Japan initiated the Central Asia plus Japan dialogue. If five Central Asian countries overcome political and economic differences as well as differences with other countries beyond the region and join their efforts to solve regional problems, it will strengthen and stabilize the region and add to the development of each country. Thus, the Central Asian countries will become important players in the international arena. With this in mind, Japan exerts efforts to stimulate regional cooperation playing the role of a catalyst.
The 6th meeting of the Central Asia plus Japan dialogue at the ministerial level will be held on May 1. From day one since the establishment of this dialogue it was of paramount importance that the foreign ministers of each country held discussions at one table. With time the dialogue has only deepened and nowadays its participants specifically discuss how to facilitate practical cooperation. At the upcoming ministerial meeting I would like to pay utmost attention to the development of transport and logistics. It is the sphere of regional cooperation that is directly associated with stability and prosperity of each country. I would also like to deepen practical cooperation through interaction with the countries of the region.
I am convinced that such a position of Japan provides for the friendly relations and trust it enjoys. Today, the number of areas for cooperation with the rapidly developing Central Asian countries is expanding on many levels. Along with the economic support, political dialogue and regional cooperation we work together in the international arena, business and culture. It is symbolic that for the first time Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe visited 5 Central Asian countries in October 2015. Within the framework of his visits business forums were held with the participation of 50 enterprises. It was also decided to send cultural missions to each country to consider organizing exchange projects in order to further deepen Japan's relations with Central Asian countries. This historic series of visits has literally raised bilateral relations to an even higher level.
The visit of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in November last year has become important in strengthening bilateral relations. During the visit as the first sovereign of Central Asia countries he made a speech in the National Diet of Japan and visited Hiroshima. We held the 6th session of the Kazakh-Japanese Joint Commission of public and private sectors for economic cooperation and other important events. I am certain that having bitter experience in nuclear weapon use, cooperating as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council and jointly presiding the Conference on Facilitating Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty both countries closely collaborate in the international arena for the issues of disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, North Korea and etc. I hope for further intensification of Japanese-Kazakh relations as well as economic ones during Expo 2017 International Exhibition to start in Astana in June.
The relations between the countries started as recently as 25 years ago but they have historical and cultural ties continuing for a long time. Many Japanese people admiringly associate Central Asia with the Great Silk Road. It was the Great Silk Road that brought Buddhism and the civilization and culture also from the West to the Japanese culture. The peoples of Japan and Central Asia countries are respectful and interested in each other. Therefore, I wish to make efforts for cooperation with each country, especially in increasing human exchange, for we could keep on working together hand in hand.