The Japanese delegation also included representatives of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Kyushu University, and the Institute of Developing Economies of the Japan External Trade Organization (IDE-JETRO).

The parties exchanged views on current regional and international issues, discussed recent trends in Central Asia’s development, and explored prospects for further strengthening Uzbek–Japanese expert cooperation.

At the outset of the meeting, J. Vakhabov presented the IICA’s main areas of activity, with particular emphasis on the Institute’s efforts to promote expert dialogue and expand multilateral cooperation within the framework of the “Central Asia Plus” formats.

In this context, the IICA Director invited Japanese researchers to participate in the first Central Asia – Japan Think Tank Forum, which will be held in Tashkent on September 23–24 this year.

In turn, the Japanese experts highly appreciated the initiative to convene the Forum, emphasizing its importance as a new platform for strengthening expert dialogue and expanding cooperation between think tanks in Japan and the countries of Central Asia.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties reaffirmed their mutual interest in further developing cooperation, expanding academic exchanges, and strengthening partnerships between the research institutions of the two countries.