DUSHANBE, 29.01.2018 /NIAT “Khovar”/. The 12th Meeting of the Senior Officials of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue was held yesterday, January 26 in Dushanbe. The meeting was co-chaired by the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan Nizomiddin Zohidi and the Special Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for Central Asia, Ambassador Toshihiro Aiki.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan, the meeting was attended by delegations of Central Asian states and Japan, which were led by the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Dinara Kemelova, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Vepa Hajiyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Saidikram Niyazkhodjaev, Director of Department for Asian Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Bakaev.

During the Dushanbe meeting, the parties discussed issues related to the implementation of the projects, further development of cooperation in the field of transport and logistics, exchanged views on cooperation in ensuring regional security, as well as determined on further cooperation in the field of tourism within the framework of the Dialogue. The announcement of tourism sphere as a new area of ​​regional cooperation has become one of the main outcomes of the Dushanbe meeting.

In addition, the meeting also discussed the issues of expanding trade, economic and investment partnership between the countries of Central Asia and Japan in various fields.

It should be noted that in May 2017, the Republic of Tajikistan took over the chairmanship of the Dialogue for the period of 2017-2018.