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On August 8, the Center for Pre-Departure Orientation and Reintegration of Migrants in Bishkek officially launched an intensive Japanese language course aimed at improving the employability of Kyrgyz job seekers in Japan. The course is a joint initiative of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Migration’s Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad and the Japan Association for Construction Human Resources (JAC). The program is part of ongoing efforts to develop Japan as a new destination for Kyrgyz labor migration, diversifying the country’s overseas employment market. This collaboration follows the signing of a memorandum of cooperation on labor migration between Kyrgyzstan and Japan. The first group of students was 30 mainly young participants from across Kyrgyzstan. Expanding Employment Pathways Kyrgyzstan is deepening labor migration ties with Japan as part of a broader strategy to create safe, legal, and skills-based employment opportunities for its citizens abroad. The Ministry’s Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad is working with JAC, which facilitates the recruitment of specified skilled workers for Japan’s construction industry. Both sides have also discussed plans to establish a specialized training center in Kyrgyzstan to prepare construction professionals according to Japanese industry standards. While Russia remains the main destination for Kyrgyz labor migrants, recent years have seen growing interest in alternative destinations, including Turkey, South Korea, Japan, and several European countries.
Kyrgyzstan is strengthening labor migration ties with Japan as part of a broader strategy to diversify employment opportunities for its citizens abroad. The Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Migration is working to establish safe, legal, and skills-based pathways for Kyrgyz workers to access the Japanese labor market, in line with international labor standards and Japan’s workforce demands. On July 2, officials from the Ministry’s Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad met in Bishkek with representatives from the Japan Association for Construction Human Resources (JAC), an organization that facilitates the recruitment of specified skilled workers in Japan’s construction sector. The two sides discussed plans to create a specialized training center in Kyrgyzstan to prepare construction professionals according to Japanese industry standards. They also agreed to develop free Japanese language courses to enhance the employability of Kyrgyz job seekers. In May, Kyrgyz Minister of Labor Ravshanbek Sabirov held talks with Hitoshi Kanamori, President of IM Japan, the largest Japanese organization overseeing the technical intern training program. The discussions focused on expanding structured employment pathways for Kyrgyz nationals in Japan. The Kyrgyz side reiterated its commitment to training workers in fields currently in high demand in Japan, including IT, social services, hospitality, and skilled trades such as welding. Both parties stressed the importance of integrating vocational training with Japanese language instruction. Minister Sabirov also emphasized the need to ensure labor protections for Kyrgyz citizens working abroad. “It is important that Kyrgyz specialists not only secure employment but also have access to social insurance, legal protection, and consistent communication with Kyrgyz government bodies,” he said. While Russia remains the primary destination for Kyrgyz labor migrants, recent years have seen growing interest in alternative destinations such as Turkey, South Korea, Japan, and parts of Europe.
Construction has begun on a 750-meter tunnel along Kyrgyzstan’s vital Bishkek–Osh highway, the country’s only overland route connecting the northern and southern regions. The project marks a major step in modernizing national transport infrastructure and improving safety in an area prone to rockfalls, landslides, and harsh weather conditions. The tunnel is being built at the 400-kilometer mark of the highway by Japan’s Takenaka Civil Engineering & Construction Co., using advanced Japanese technologies designed to meet the region’s complex geological challenges. A formal groundbreaking ceremony took place on June 19, attended by Kyrgyz Transport and Communications Minister Absattar Syrgabayev and Japanese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Hideki Goda. Minister Syrgabayev described the tunnel as a key solution to the dangers posed by the mountainous terrain. “In this area, the risks are high. A tunnel is the safest and most reliable solution,” he said. Stretching 655 kilometers, the Bishkek–Osh highway runs through the regions of Chui, Talas, Jalal-Abad, and Osh, linking the capital with the country’s second-largest city. It plays a crucial role in both domestic mobility and regional trade, forming part of international corridors that connect Kyrgyzstan with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. The tunnel reflects the government’s continued efforts to strengthen the safety and reliability of one of its most important infrastructure assets.
Uzbekistan has launched a new international initiative aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency in public infrastructure. Spearheaded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Government of Japan and Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, the project targets key sectors including schools, hospitals, kindergartens, and public transportation.z According to UNDP Uzbekistan, the initiative seeks to bolster the country’s resilience to energy-related challenges driven by increasingly extreme weather conditions. Many public buildings in Uzbekistan suffer from outdated infrastructure and significant energy loss, resulting in elevated emissions and burdensome utility expenses. The project will focus on upgrading facilities with thermal insulation, energy-efficient windows, heat pumps, and solar panels to address these inefficiencies. A central objective is to enhance indoor comfort throughout the year, particularly in regions experiencing extreme seasonal temperatures. The installation of modern heating and cooling systems is expected to make classrooms and hospital wards more sustainable and livable. The initiative will also extend to green mobility, supporting the introduction of electric buses, the development of charging infrastructure, and the deployment of air pollution monitoring systems along urban transport routes. A distinctive feature of the program is its use of the Joint Credit Mechanism (JCM), which provides Uzbekistan with access to advanced Japanese technology and investment. This mechanism facilitates international collaboration on carbon reduction and supports the country's transition toward cleaner technologies. The initiative aligns with Uzbekistan’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. The government has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 35 percent and raise the share of clean energy to 25 percent by 2030. According to UNDP representatives and officials from the National Agency for Energy Efficiency, the project is not only designed to meet environmental targets but also to improve public health and alleviate the financial strain caused by inefficient energy systems. This latest endeavor builds on previous sustainable development projects in Uzbekistan. Notably, a European Union and UNDP-backed program has supported the country’s fish farming industry by providing eco-friendly equipment to enhance water quality and reduce energy consumption.
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.
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.
