On 26 November, the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KazISS) hosted a meeting with the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Japan to Kazakhstan, Yasumasa Iijima.
In his welcoming remarks, KazISS Director Zhandos Shaimardanov expressed his gratitude to Mr. Iijima for Japan’s continued support and contribution to the development of expert diplomacy and the “second-track” dialogue format.
“Japan was the first country to launch the C5+ format with the Central Asian states back in 2004. We highly value Japan’s consistent, respectful, and strategic approach to engagement with the region, which significantly contributes to strengthening trust and developing a sustainable partnership,” Shaimardanov emphasized.
Particular attention was given to cooperation with leading think tanks, including the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), as well as the successful Central Asia–Japan Expert Dialogue Forum held on 6 March 2025 in Astana.
For his part, the Ambassador thanked KazISS for the productive dialogue and underlined that Japan considers Kazakhstan an important partner in Central Asia. He expressed his readiness to continue expert cooperation and support initiatives aimed at strengthening the regional “Central Asia – Japan” format.
Following the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening expert dialogue and implementing joint initiatives aimed at long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation.
