Japan - The Times Of Central Asia

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Ashgabat May Have a Metro System by 2035

Vladimir Petruk, managing director of Interbudmontazh Company, told the CIET-2024 international conference that a metro system may be built in Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat by 2035. Petruk said that specialists from the Japanese company Sumitomo, the Japanese Subway Association, and the German consulting group K2 have studied Ashgabat's geological and seismic conditions. The study's results confirmed the possibility of building the subway using reinforced concrete structures. The Ashgabat metro plan calls for an environmentally friendly transportation solution. In the future, it could connect the capital with the “smart city” Arkadag and the settlements of Geokdepe and Anau. According to forecasts, construction could be completed by 2035. “Given the growing wealth and the increasing number of cars, the metro will become essential to solve the city's transportation problems,” Petruk emphasized, noting the successful experience of operating metros in seismically active regions. Consultations with the Ministry of Construction and Architecture of Turkmenistan are ongoing, and the UN mission plans to cooperate with the country to support the urban infrastructure development program. Turkmenistan currently does not have a metro. The idea of building a metro in Ashgabat has been discussed since 2008 when the city mayor's office attracted companies from St. Petersburg to the project. In 2014, then-President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov instructed the Ukrainian construction association Interbudmontazh to consider the possibility of realizing this project. In 2020, the company presented the Ashgabat metro construction project developed jointly with Sumitomo and K2. However, specific dates for the start of construction and commissioning of the metro in Ashgabat have not yet been announced.

International Relations Economic Cooperation International Cooperation Green Energy Green economy Japan Energy

Kyrgyzstan and Japan Agree to Cooperate in Green Energy

In Japan on September 9, Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Energy, Taalaibek Ibrayev, met with Ken Saito, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, who oversees the country's energy policy. The two ministries signed a memorandum of cooperation to implement joint projects in green energy. The aim of the new partnership is to expand energy cooperation between Japan and Kyrgyzstan, and developing sectors such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, hydrogen energy, ammonia, carbon recycling, and high-efficiency electricity generation. While visiting Japan last November, Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Cooperation in the energy sector was one of the issues that they discussed. During the visit, Japarov invited Japanese companies to use the opportunities and potential for cooperation with Kyrgyzstan to develop renewable energy sources and construct hydropower plants.

Education Japan Higher Education Language Teaching

Turkmenistan Supports Japanese Language Exam

The official website of the Embassy of Japan in Turkmenistan reports that Ashgabat will host the second Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) on December 1, 2024, with applications accepted from 26-30 August. JLPT, the most comprehensive exam in the Japanese language in both Japan and abroad to assess the skills of foreign citizens, comprises five levels - from N1-N5- and the cost of participation varies according to grade. In 2022, the Dovletmamed Azadi Turkmen National Institute of World Languages signed a contract with the Government of Japan to implement the “Japanese Language Teaching Equipment Project Grant.” The project includes re-equipping three university classrooms to provide language laboratories, facilities for simultaneous translation, and rooms designated for Japanese language teachers.

Japan

Central Asian Countries and Japan Hold Business Forum

Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, hosted a business forum on August 9 as part of the "Central Asia + Japan" dialogue. The forum, which brought together more than 450 representatives from Central Asian countries and Japan, focused on strengthening economic ties and expanding cooperation in digitalization, transport and logistics, agriculture, and heavy industry. At the forum, over 30 bilateral documents were signed between companies and organizations from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Japan on joint projects in infrastructure, science, technology, and other key areas. Documents signed between Kazakhstan and Japan include, among others, an agreement between the JSC Development Bank of Kazakhstan and Japan Bank for International Cooperation to finance joint projects in sectors such as energy (including alternative energy), infrastructure (including transportation), machine engineering, and the food industry. The Japanese bank is ready to invest $200 million. The company Kazakh Invest and Japanese company Fitech agreed to cooperate to produce fire-resistant materials in Kazakhstan and export the goods produced to other countries. JSC KazIOR and FUJIFILM signed a memorandum of understanding to develop modern mobile medical complexes for radiology, mammography, and endoscopy. LLP Kazakhmys Corporation, LLP Eurasian Machinery, and Hitachi Construction Machinery signed a memorandum of cooperation to develop a new mining project. Speaking at the business forum, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov focused on the interaction of Central Asia and Japan in the transfer of advanced technologies and manufacture of products with high added value, noting the possibility of creating joint innovation clusters, technology parks, and incubators. Bektenov also urged the expansion of partnerships in developing rare earth metal deposits and implementing joint projects in the transport and logistics industry, emphasizing that Central Asia's transit potential opens up great opportunities for Japanese exports and imports.

Japan Strategy Economy Central Asia Finance Investments

Japan to Offer Aid to Central Asia

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to announce an economic aid package for Central Asia. According to The Japan Times, details will be revealed during the Japanese prime minister's meeting with heads of the five Central Asian states during his visit to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia from August 9 to 12. Tokyo is seeking to strengthen ties with the region by helping to create a trade route across the Caspian Sea that would link Central Asia and Europe, bypassing Russia. According to the Japanese government, the initiative will reduce the heavy influence of both Russia and China on the region and afford Central Asia economic independence. Kishida is expected to announce the economic support package in a joint statement following the six-party summit in Kazakhstan on implementing a new trade route, helping to decarbonize the economy, and promoting people-to-people exchanges. Japanese companies will also help Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries reduce their dependence on coal by providing technology and loans to develop natural gas production and processing. In exchange, the Central Asian states will send skilled labor to Japan.

Investments Turkmenistan Export/Import Economy Japan

Turkmenistan Strengthens Cooperation with Japanese Investors

As reported by TDH, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, recently engaged in a meeting with representatives of Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., including Senior Strategic Advisor Tatsuya Watanabe and Executive Director Kenji Sanada. During the meeting, Japan's role as an important strategic partner for Turkmenistan in the Asia-Pacific region was noted, with particular regard to bilateral cooperation between the two countries and within the framework of international organizations, including the UN. A long-term partnership has been established with Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., and several major projects have been implemented, including a plant for producing gasoline from natural gas in Ovadandepe, a urea plant in Mary province, and the Keliati cement plant. New opportunities for cooperation were discussed alongside Turkmenistan's plans to produce and process natural gas. The importance of using advanced technologies and observing environmental standards in the implementation of projects was emphasized.