Japan to Support Central Asia in Developing Logistic Network, Focusing on Import Route to Bypass Russia Amid Ukraine War

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:18 JST, December 20, 2025

The first summit between the Japanese government and the five Central Asian nations on Saturday resulted in the adoption of a joint declaration which explicitly states Tokyo’s support for developing a logistic network that connects to Europe via the Caspian Sea.

The government aims to secure import routes from Central Asia, rich in mineral resources, bypassing Russia, with an aim to strengthen its economic security.

Held in Tokyo, the summit was attended by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

“Central Asia is increasing its presence, including through rapid economic development,” Takaichi said at the beginning of the meeting. “Through dialogue, I hope we can discuss the future direction of our cooperation.”

The logistic network support will focus on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route connecting eastern Kazakhstan with the Caspian and Black Seas. The route is considered crucial for imports bypassing Russia since its aggression against Ukraine began.

The Japanese government plans to cooperate by supporting the replacement of aging bridges and training customs officials from those Central Asian countries.

The declaration also covered cooperation on artificial intelligence and collaboration in legal frameworks and human resource development.

Central Asia occupies a strategic position surrounded by Russia and China. With abundant energy resources, including natural gas and critical minerals like rare metals, countries including China, Russia as well as the United States have recently been looking to strengthen ties with the region.