Tokyo, September 2, 2026 - Ambassador Yerlan Baudarbek-Kozhatayev held talks with Shigeru Ishiba, Chair of the Japan Parliamentary League on Humanitarian Diplomacy and former Prime Minister of Japan.
Mr. Ishiba noted that, during his tenure as Prime Minister, he had attached particular importance to strengthening Kazakhstan-Japan relations. In this context, he recalled that he had conveyed his vision for further developing bilateral cooperation and engagement within the framework of the “Central Asia + Japan” Dialogue in a personal letter addressed to President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev last year.
The two sides discussed progress in implementing the agreements reached at the highest level following the first official visit of the President of Kazakhstan to Tokyo and his participation in the first “Central Asia + Japan” Summit in December 2025. The importance of further strengthening political and interparliamentary exchanges, as well as exploring new promising areas of economic cooperation, was emphasized.
A separate part of the talks focused on international security, sustainable development, and the rule of law. Mr. Ishiba highly commended Kazakhstan’s consistent position on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, underscoring the country’s important role in advancing global security.
Significant potential for expanded cooperation was identified in the areas of climate change, disaster risk prevention and reduction, water security, tourism, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. Mr. Ishiba paid particular attention to Kazakhstan’s environmental and water-related challenges, expressing interest in the current state of the Aral Sea and Kazakhstan’s glaciers. In turn, Ambassador Baudarbek-Kozhatayev presented the green initiatives of the President of Kazakhstan, including the proposal to establish an International Water Organization.
During the meeting, the Ambassador also briefed his interlocutor in detail on the results of the elections to the Kurultai of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the country’s ongoing political reforms.