Overview
- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi opened a two-day C5+1 gathering on Dec 19–20 with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, featuring an official reception, a business forum and leader-level talks.
- The meeting elevates a Japan–Central Asia dialogue launched in 2004 to the heads-of-state level for the first time.
- Japan and the five states are expected to launch an “AI partnership” to apply technology to exploration of undeveloped mineral deposits, according to Japanese media.
- Tokyo plans to back development of the Caspian Sea Route to link Central Asia to Europe without transiting Russia, local reports said.
- Japan is seeking a larger role in a region rich in rare earths, uranium and gold as China, Russia, the EU and the US court the same partners, with a Japanese foreign ministry spokesman saying the summit is not for propaganda and that Tokyo seeks a stable, constructive relationship with China.