TOKYO, Japan, Dec 22 (IPS) – The leaders of Japan and the five Central Asian states met in Tokyo on December 20 and approved the “Tokyo Declaration”, launching a new leadership-level format under the “Central Asia plus Japan Dialogue” (CA+JAD). The declaration places two priorities at the core of the cooperation: strengthening the resilience of the critical minerals supply chain, and supporting the Trans-Caspian Corridor (the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route), which connects Central Asia with Europe without passing through Russia.
The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, reflected the strategic importance of Central Asia as a Eurasian crossroads and as a region with mineral resources essential for decarbonizing the economy and advanced industries. As the great powers increase their involvement across the region, Central Asia’s weight as a stage for diplomacy and trade has increased.
The Japanese government emphasized a practical, implementation-oriented approach: translating cooperation into feasible projects. For Central Asian countries, the Trans-Caspian Corridor is also a means to expand transportation options and reduce dependence on a single transit route. It can help attract investment to modernize ports, railways and customs systems, while increasing opportunities to generate revenue from transit and logistics.
For Japan, corridor development and mineral cooperation serve as a form of risk diversification in economic security. By diversifying both sourcing sources and transportation routes for critical minerals – such as rare earths and lithium – needed for batteries, renewable energy technologies and electronic devices, Japan aims to prepare for increased geopolitical risk. There is also a clear intention to expand opportunities for Japanese companies to participate in the infrastructure, logistics and digital sectors.
Japan-Kazakhstan Joint Statement as Anchor
Ahead of the leaders’ summit, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made an official visit to Japan, with a series of diplomatic meetings planned around the trip.
On December 18, Prime Minister Takaichi and President Tokayev held a summit meeting and issued a decision joint statement on a “forward-looking comprehensive strategic partnership.” The declaration reaffirmed a rules-based international order based on the principles of the UN Charter, and the two leaders agreed to promote cooperation through concrete initiatives in areas such as critical minerals, the energy transition and transport and logistics connectivity.
Regarding the Trans-Caspian Corridor, the joint statement specified practical measures aimed at easing bottlenecks at customs and ports, such as training for customs officials in cooperation with the World Customs Organization (WCO) and support for improving cargo inspection scanners (cargo inspection equipment) at the port of Aktau in western Kazakhstan. The two leaders also welcomed plans to launch regular direct flights in 2026 and agreed to begin intergovernmental negotiations with a view to concluding a bilateral air services agreement. Moreover, the joint statement expressed the intention to exchange information and explore possible cooperation opportunities with the “UN Regional Center for the SDGs for Central Asia and Afghanistan”, which was located in Almaty.
Tokayev warns of nuclear risks in Tokyo
The next day, December 19, President Tokayev delivered a lecture at the United Nations University in Tokyo, warning that “nuclear risks are increasing again.”
He referred not only to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but also to the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan, where the former Soviet Union conducted more than 450 nuclear tests, arguing that both Japan and Kazakhstan are countries that know the devastating effects of nuclear weapons. He said practical steps must be taken steadily to promote nuclear disarmament and reduce nuclear risks.
Tokayev also cited Kazakhstan’s decision to give up the nuclear weapons left on its territory after the collapse of the Soviet Union, suggesting that security should not depend solely on nuclear deterrence.
Kazakhstan organized rallies in Astana around August 29 – the date of the closure of the Semipalatinsk test site and also the UN-designated International Day against Nuclear Testing – highlighting the inhumane consequences of nuclear weapons and calling for the strengthening of the norms underpinning the nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia. These meetings were attended by community groups such as the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) And Soka Gakkai International (SGI).
Three priority areas: resilience, connectivity and human development
At the December 20 summit, President Tokayev attended together with the presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Noting that Central Asia’s growing population and rapid economic expansion have raised the region’s international profile, Prime Minister Takaichi stressed the importance of regional cooperation and engagement with external partners.
Japan has announced the ‘CA+JAD Tokyo Initiative’, which sets out three priority areas for cooperation: (1) green and resilience (including the energy transition, disaster risk reduction and supply chain resilience for critical minerals); (2) connectivity (including the Trans-Caspian Corridor and AI cooperation); and (3) human development (including scholarship programs and health and medical cooperation).
The Tokyo Declaration also explicitly established the launch of the ‘Japan-Central Asia Partnership for AI Cooperation’, aimed at applying AI to resource development and related fields. On the sidelines of the meeting, more than 150 documents were signed and announced by public and private stakeholders, and a goal was presented to develop business projects worth a total of 3 trillion yen in the next five years.
Multipolar engagement and Kazakhstan’s “multi-vector” diplomacy
The meeting in Tokyo also underlined the reality of accelerated top diplomacy around Central Asia. China convened a leaders’ meeting with the five Central Asian states in Kazakhstan earlier this year, and the United States invited the same five leaders to Washington in November.
Kazakhstan in particular has long pursued a “multi-vector” foreign policy, maintaining parallel relations with competing major powers to preserve sovereignty and strategic options. The Tokyo Agreements – which combine diversification of transportation corridors, expanded mineral and technology cooperation, and the use of development cooperation through international institutions – are consistent with this balancing strategy.
For Japan, the new leadership-level format provides a way to deepen engagement in Central Asia by connecting resources, logistics and technology. For President Tokayev, the visit also served as a platform to argue that, as nuclear risks return to the fore, Eurasia’s economic future cannot be separated from the security challenges that define the region.
INPS Japan
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