The Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Kazakhstan (KazISS), Maqsut Narikbayev University and the Embassy of Japan in Kazakhstan co-hosted the "Expert Dialogue «Central Asia + Japan: Current Trends and Prospects»" in Astana on March 6, and the JIIA's Chief Executive Director Tomoyuki Yoshida and Research Fellow Michihiro Tajima participated.
Mr. Yoshida took part in Discussion 2, "Japan's Policy towards Central Asia" as a Panelist, where he spoke about Japan's perspective on Central Asia, a region of growing geopolitical importance due to the intensification of competition between major powers, and explained his thoughts on the significance of connectivity among the five Central Asian countries, the prospects for future development of the "Central Asia + Japan" framework, and the potential for partnership on global issues. He also engaged in lively discussions with the experts from the five Central Asian countries and Japan who took part in the dialogue.
During their stay, they also visited and laid flowers at the cenotaph commemorating the Japanese detainees who died in Kazakhstan after having been forcibly transferred there by the Soviet Union following World War II.
Reference: