Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Dec. 8 / Trend D. Azizov
The priorities for regional cooperation in partnership with Japan were discussed at the sixth Central Asia plus Japan in Tokyo, meeting the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said. The first was held in Tokyo in 2004.
A delegation of the Uzbek Ministry and representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Japan also attended.
High on the agenda was the development of regional cooperation in regional security, combating extremism and drug trafficking. Promoting trade and investments, transport and communications, power engineering, health and environmental protection were also examined, as well as the economic potential of the Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan and Japan to restore the peace process in Afghanistan.
The Uzbek side stressed the need to strengthen cooperation with Japan in carrying out medium and long-term development programmes in promising areas designed to serve as a core of stability and sustainable development in Central Asia and Kazakhstan.
A decision was held to hold the fourth meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Central Asia plus Japan in Tokyo in 2012.
Another round of political consultations was held between the Uzbek and Japanese foreign ministries. Both sides exchanged views on the status and prospects of bilateral cooperation in political, economic, trade, cultural and humanitarian spheres. They also discussed urgent international and regional issues of mutual interest.
According to the Uzbek Foreign Ministry, regular political consultations between the foreign ministries of both countries have been on-going since 2002.