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Japan, Central Asian Nations Agree On Transport Route to Europe Bypassing Russia

By The South Asia Times

TOKYO - Japan and five Central Asian nations agreed on Saturday to develop a new transport corridor linking the region with Europe while bypassing Russia, a move aimed at ensuring stable supplies of critical minerals and energy, according to Kyodo News.

Japan hosted its first-ever summit with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in Tokyo, at a time when Russia and China are seeking to expand their trade and economic influence in the resource-rich region.

As part of efforts to deepen economic cooperation, Japan and the five countries adopted the “Tokyo Declaration,” which focuses on decarbonization, logistics facilitation and human resource development.

“The international situation has changed drastically, and the region’s importance is growing as a trade route connecting Asia and Europe,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said at the opening of the meeting.

The proposed Caspian Sea route is designed to secure stable supplies of critical minerals, including rare metals, as well as energy resources such as oil and natural gas.

The summit had originally been scheduled for August 2024 in Kazakhstan but was postponed after then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida canceled his trip amid warnings of a possible major earthquake in Japan.

Speaking after the summit, Takaichi said Japan plans to launch new business projects worth about 3 trillion yen ($19 billion) in Central Asia over the next five years, adding that the participants also agreed to cooperate in areas such as artificial intelligence.

“Central Asia has great significance and potential in terms of geopolitical importance, economic security and mutually beneficial business opportunities,” she said, noting that more than 150 public- and private-sector documents were signed during the summit.

Japan launched its dialogue framework with the five former Soviet republics in 2004—earlier than China, Russia and the United States—and has since held 10 foreign ministerial meetings under the initiative.