This blog is not financed by the government. But this time let me make one advertisement about their activity, the 4th "Central Asia ＋Japan" foreign ministerial meeting held in Tokyo on Nov.10th.

When I worked as ambassador to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in 2002-2004, I took part in the launching of a forum "Central Asia ＋Japan". This forum is a multi-layer dialogue forum with foreign ministerial meeting at its top, and is intended to facilitate unity among the five Central Asian countries.

The model is ASEAN (Association of South-Eastern Nations). Since its inception in 1967 Japan actively supported its members in their economic development. Today most of the ASEAN countries have achieved highly developed economy and esteemed position in the world politics. Japan wants to help realize the same in Central Asia.

The 4th foreign ministerial meeting coincided with the auspicious occasion: the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan on one end and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on the other end. And it was striking that Turkmenistan took a full part in the meeting, sending its foreign minister for the first time.

The meeting acknowledged that Japan has so far accorded official economic assistance amounting to about 3.5 billion, invited five thousand trainees in various fields from the five countries and accepted eight hundred students.

The Japanese foreign minister Mr.Gemba has pledged 700 million dollars aid to realize projects that will enhance regional cooperation around Afghanistan and will facilitate trade and investment.

In the forum "Central Asia ＋Japan" there will be new layers for dialogue: meeting of experts and exchange between foreign ministries. Within the framework a "dialogue of intellectuals" will be held by March 2013. And next foreign ministerial meeting will be held in Kyrgyz possibly with participation of the UN and the IBRD.

That is it. And Japan's diplomacy may soon go into pleasant hibernation again, because the prime minister Mr.Noda is poised to hold a general election by the end of December.
Therefore meanwhile, please study the minutes of the "Central Asia ＋Japan" at the official site (English)
http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/europe/dialogue/index.html