Kyrgyzstan is seeking to elevate its partnership with Japan as President Sadyr Japarov addressed the first Central Asia-Japan Summit in Tokyo, outlining a broad vision for deeper regional and bilateral cooperation.
Japarov said the summit reflects a shared ambition to take relations between Central Asian countries and Japan to a qualitatively new level, The Caspian Post reports via Kyrgyz media.
He noted that since the launch of the dialogue, Central Asia has emerged as a self-sufficient region with steady economic growth, making long-term and effective cooperation formats especially important.
The Kyrgyz leader confirmed Bishkek’s support for Japan’s proposal to focus joint efforts on three priority areas: environmental sustainability and resilience, connectivity, and human resource development.
Touching on climate challenges, Japarov stressed that climate change poses serious risks for Kyrgyzstan as a mountainous country. Melting glaciers, shrinking water resources, more frequent mudflows and rising seismic activity directly threaten both the population and critical infrastructure. In response, he proposed creating a regional early warning system with Japan’s participation and expanding data exchange on natural hazard forecasting.
Reaffirming Kyrgyzstan’s commitment to a green economy, the president highlighted the development of renewable energy and clean technologies, naming the Kambar-Ata 1 hydropower plant as a key strategic project. He also expressed interest in attracting Japanese green technologies and new financing mechanisms for environmental initiatives.
Japarov recalled the UN-backed Five-Year Action Plan for the Development of Mountain Regions (2023-2027) and invited partners to take part in the Second Global Mountain Summit in Bishkek. Praising Japan’s contribution to Kyrgyzstan’s sustainable development, he also invited Japanese investors to participate in the environmentally friendly Asman city project.
On connectivity, the president pointed to Kyrgyzstan’s strategic location in the heart of Eurasia, which creates opportunities to become a regional hub for transport, logistics, trade and financial flows. He emphasized the importance of infrastructure modernization, intelligent transport systems and expanded participation in international transport corridors.
Japarov also expressed readiness to expand cooperation with Japan in information technology, identifying Kyrgyzstan’s High Technology Park as a platform for joint digital projects, technology transfer and the training of engineering and IT specialists.
Human resource development, he said, remains one of the key pillars of cooperation. The president praised the impact of the JDS program, whose graduates have long contributed to national development, and voiced interest in expanding educational quotas at leading Japanese universities, particularly in IT and engineering.
Tourism was highlighted as another bridge between the two nations. Japarov noted that Kyrgyzstan’s rich historical and cultural heritage - including elements of Buddhist culture - holds special appeal for Japanese tourists. He expressed readiness to cooperate on preserving cultural diversity and creating a specialized museum complex.
Concluding his speech, the president said Kyrgyzstan is actively developing its tourism infrastructure to ensure a year-round tourist season, citing the large-scale Ala-Too Resort ski project and inviting Japanese partners to take part in its development.
