President Sadyr Japarov, during his official visit to Japan, spoke on December 20 at the First Central Asia – Japan Dialogue Summit held in Tokyo.
In his address, the head of the Kyrgyz Republic noted that the summit reflected the common desire of the Central Asian countries and Japan to strengthen their cooperation at a new, higher level.
“Since the establishment of this dialogue, Central Asia has established itself as a self-sufficient region with sustainable economic growth and development in all areas. In the context of positive dynamics, it is particularly important to establish effective and long-term formats for our interaction,” emphasized President Japarov.
He also confirmed Kyrgyzstan's support for the Japanese initiative to focus joint efforts on three key areas: ecology and sustainable development, communications, and human resource development.
The President noted that climate change and sustainable development pose serious challenges for Kyrgyzstan as a mountainous country. The melting of glaciers, reduction of water resources, and increased seismic activity threaten the population and infrastructure.
In this regard, he proposed creating a regional early warning system for natural threats with the participation of Japan and developing data exchange for risk forecasting.
Sadyr Japarov highlighted Kyrgyzstan's commitment to a "green" economy, emphasizing the development of renewable energy sources and clean technologies, particularly the Kambar-Ata-1 hydropower plant as a strategic project. He also expressed interest in transferring Japanese "green" technologies and new mechanisms for financing environmental initiatives.
The President mentioned the UN Decade of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions for 2023–2027 and invited partners to participate in the Second Global Mountain Summit, which will be held in Bishkek.
Noting the high level of bilateral cooperation with Japan, Sadyr Japarov thanked the Japanese side for its contribution to the sustainable development of Kyrgyzstan and invited investors to participate in the eco-friendly city project "Asman."
Speaking about the development of communications, the president noted that Kyrgyzstan's advantageous geographical location in the center of Eurasia opens up opportunities to become a regional hub for transport, logistics, trade, and financial flows. Modernizing infrastructure and implementing intelligent transport systems will help reduce business costs and strengthen the country's position in logistics.
Sadyr Japarov emphasized that Kyrgyzstan is focused on developing its road and railway networks, civil aviation, and transport and logistics centers, as well as expanding the country's participation in international transport routes.
He also expressed readiness to cooperate with Japan in the field of information technology, designating the Kyrgyz High Technology Park as a platform for joint digital projects and training IT specialists.
In his speech, the president emphasized that human resource development is one of the most important priorities for cooperation with Japan.
He positively assessed the results of the JDS program, thanks to which graduates make a significant contribution to the development of Kyrgyzstan, and expressed interest in increasing educational quotas in Japanese universities, especially in engineering and information technology fields.
Sadyr Japarov also noted the importance of cooperation in tourism to bring the peoples of Kyrgyzstan and Japan closer together. He emphasized that the country's rich historical and cultural heritage, which intersects trade routes and civilizations, as well as elements of Buddhist culture, may be of interest to Japanese tourists. In this regard, he expressed readiness for joint work on preserving cultural diversity and creating a specialized museum complex.
In conclusion of his speech, Sadyr Japarov noted that Kyrgyzstan continues to develop its tourist infrastructure to create a year-round tourist season, emphasizing the implementation of the large-scale "Ala-Too Resort" project and inviting Japanese partners to participate in its development.
