The Administration of the President of Uzbekistan is pleased to announce that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will pay an official visit to Japan in December 2025. During the visit, President Mirziyoyev will engage in high-level bilateral talks and participate in the landmark Central Asia + Japan Dialogue summit.
Since establishing diplomatic relations on January 26, 1992, cooperation with Japan has been a cornerstone of Uzbekistan’s foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific region. The upcoming visit aims to further solidify the multi-tiered, strategic partnership covering politics, security, trade, investment, innovation, and humanitarian exchange.
On December 19-20, 2025, The Summit of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue (CA+JAD) will be held in Tokyo, for the first time at the leaders’ level. PM TAKAICHI Sanae will chair the summit and with the participation of presidents of the five Central Asian countries which are… pic.twitter.com/tbf7OODS5l
— MOFA of Japan (@MofaJapan_en) December 17, 2025
Key Milestones in Strategic Cooperation
President Mirziyoyev’s 2019 official visit to Japan provided a powerful impetus for large-scale joint economic and humanitarian projects. Today, bilateral engagement is characterized by:
- Robust Economic Ties: Trade is conducted under the most-favored-nation regime, resulting in steady growth. Uzbekistan is home to 84 joint ventures with Japanese capital, focusing on strategic sectors including energy, infrastructure, and innovation. A key development was the January 2025 signing of a USD 150 million loan agreement with JICA for the construction of the Republican Center for Neurology and Stroke.
- Intensified Political Dialogue: The inaugural Strategic Dialogue between the Foreign Ministers, held in August 2025, underscored the long-term nature of engagement. On the international stage, the two nations consistently support each other within the UN, including Tokyo’s co-sponsorship of Uzbekistan’s resolutions on the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone and youth support.
- Deep Humanitarian and Educational Links: Education is rapidly expanding, with over 2,500 students in Uzbekistan studying Japanese. Exchange programs are vibrant, facilitated by the Uzbek–Japanese Center for Human Resource Development and the Japan Development Scholarship (JDS) program, which has benefited over 400 Uzbek students.
- Cultural and Tourism Exchange: The success of the Uzbek pavilion, “Garden of Knowledge,” which received a Gold Medal at EXPO 2025 in Osaka, and growing Japanese interest in Uzbekistan’s rich Buddhist heritage sites underscore the depth of cultural resonance between the peoples.
Central Asia + Japan Dialogue
A central focus of the trip will be President Mirziyoyev’s participation in the first leaders’ summit of the Central Asia + Japan Dialogue. This platform, initiated in 2004, has evolved into a stable and trusted mechanism for systematic cooperation across the region.
Uzbekistan, as the most populous country and a key transport hub in Central Asia, plays a central role in shaping the Dialogue’s agenda. The platform is vital for:
- Regional Connectivity: Advancing Japanese assistance through JICA and JBIC to modernize transport corridors, logistics hubs, and infrastructure, strengthening Central Asia’s role as a bridge between East Asia and Europe.
- Digital and Sustainable Development: Sharing expertise in digitalization, automation, and environmentally sustainable technologies.
The upcoming visit and summit participation are expected to deepen both bilateral and multilateral political dialogue, expand economic cooperation, and further confirm Uzbekistan’s commitment to regional integration and open, constructive international partnerships.
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