Japan-Central Asia Summit May Be Held in Tokyo on Dec. 19-20

Tokyo, Dec. 3 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is working to arrange a summit with five Central Asian countries for Dec. 19-20 in Tokyo. Bilateral meetings between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and leaders from the Central Asian nations are also being considered. Taro Aso, vice president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, unveiled the plans at a general meeting Tuesday of a league of LDP lawmakers promoting friendship between Japan and Central Asian nations. “In the past six months or so, Russia, China, the United States and other countries have held summits with Central Asian nations,” Aso said at the meeting. “It is extremely important from a diplomatic point of view that Japan will also hold such summits successfully.” A Japan-Central Asia summit was scheduled to take place in Kazakhstan in August last year. But it was canceled as the government of then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida prioritized responding to emergency information issued at the time about the possibility of a megaquake occurring in the Nankai Trough off Japan’s Pacific coast. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]