Tokyo Holds "Intellectual Dialogue" with Central Asia
Tuesday, March 28, 2006 Posted: 08:31 AM JST
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, cooperating with the National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA), will hold the "Central Asia plus Japan" Intellectual Dialogue (Tokyo Dialogue) on Thursday March 30 in Tokyo. The Intellectual Dialogue is one of the five pillars of cooperation in the framework of the "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue launched in 2004.
The Dialogue expands the width of the intellectual exchange between Central Asia and Japan, and it aims to obtain a proposal for talks at governmental level.
Specialists from the Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) and Japan will attend this Dialogue. They are expected to exchange views on the themes of "The Prospects for Regional Integration in Central Asia" and "The Relations between Central Asia and Countries Outside the Region". At an opening session, Mr. Yasuhisa Shiozaki, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, will make a speech about Japan's policy toward Central Asia and expectations of the Tokyo Dialogue.
Japan opened relations with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in 1992. The "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue was launched by then Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi during her visit to Central Asia in August 2004. The last VIP exchange between Japan and these countries was in the same year.
Keywords: national_news
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