Politics & Government

Japan’s Kishida to Hold 1st Summit with 5 Central Asian Nations in Kazakhstan; Japan Seeks to Strengthen Commitments to Region

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, shakes hands with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh in New York in September 2023.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:00 JST, July 27, 2024

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to hold the first summit between Japan and five Central Asian nations during his visit to Kazakhstan in August.

During the tour Kishida plans to visit two Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan — as well as Mongolia from Aug. 9-12.

The Central Asian countries were formerly a part of the Soviet Union, so Russian influence is still strong among those nations. In recent years, China has also sought to form close ties with countries in the region.

Kishida aims to strengthen Japan’s commitments to Central Asian countries by discussing various issues, including economic cooperation, at the summit.

As Mongolia is friendly with North Korea, Kishida is likely to ask Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh for help in resolving the issue of Japanese who were abducted by North Korea.