Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to hold the first summit between Japan and five Central Asian nations during his visit to Kazakhstan this month. Aside from Kazakhstan, Kishida also plans to visit Uzbekistan and Mongolia during his tour from August 9 to 12.
In Kazakhstan, Kishida is expected to announce Japan’s support for nations in Central Asia to work towards carbon neutrality and offer technology from Japanese companies. According to a report from Nikkei Asia, the Japanese government will see how it can help Kazakhstan and other countries in the region manufacture value-added exports, like hydrogen and fertilizer produced with natural gas.
Japan will also urge Central Asian leaders to use its specified skilled worker program to improve manpower training and promote person-to-person exchanges. During the summit, Kishida is also expected to discuss establishing a supply network for key minerals.
Kazakhstan is the world’s top producer of uranium and has substantial reserves of other metals such as rust-resistant chromium.
Japan is one of Kazakhstan’s most important economic partners with investments exceeding $7.7 billion since 1993. According to World Bank Open Data, bilateral trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Japan in 2021 amounted to $ 1.1 billion.
