Japan to Host 1st Summit with Central Asian Nations from Fri.

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)--Japan will host its first summit with five Central Asian nations from Friday, aiming to deepen cooperation with the resource-rich region and strengthen supply chains.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will chair the two-day meeting in Tokyo and will also hold bilateral talks with participating leaders from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on the sidelines of the summit.

The leaders are expected to agree on creating a new framework for cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence and on coordinating efforts to develop transport routes linking Central Asia and Europe via the Caspian Sea, bypassing Russia.

On Thursday, Takaichi met at the prime minister's office with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in the first of a series of bilateral meetings.

Takaichi told Tokayev that Japan hopes to work together to deepen a mutually beneficial relationship.

Tokayev replied that Kazakhstan places importance on ties with Japan.

The two leaders also exchanged views on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and North Korea's nuclear and missile development, and agreed to continue coordinating their responses.

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