Uzbekistan and Japan announce new cooperation projects worth over €11 billion

Uzbekistan and Japan have agreed on a new portfolio of cooperation projects worth more than $12 billion (€11 billion), following talks in Tokyo during President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s official visit ahead of the C5 plus Japan summit.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held negotiations in Tokyo with Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, focusing on further deepening the Uzbek-Japanese strategic partnership.

The talks covered political dialogue, trade and investment, energy, infrastructure, healthcare, tourism and humanitarian exchange. Plans to establish a special economic zone in the Samarkand region based on Japanese standards have also been discussed. The leaders supported scaling up the “One Village, One Product” programme and expanding interregional cooperation.

Following the talks, the two sides signed a Joint Statement on an expanded strategic partnership for future generations, along with a broad package of agreements covering education, healthcare, ecology, transport, urban planning, agriculture and disaster risk reduction.

The trip also reinforces decades of cultural and educational links, including thousands of Uzbek specialists trained in Japan and hundreds of students supported through Japanese scholarship programs.

Meeting with the Emperor Naruhito

President Mirziyoyev also met with the Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace. Welcoming the Uzbek leader, the Emperor described the visit as an important step in strengthening friendly relations and the strategic partnership between the two countries.

During the talks, both sides emphasised the deep cultural and personal ties between the two nations, and Mirziyoyev invited Emperor Naruhito to pay an official visit to Uzbekistan.

More than 3,000 Uzbek specialists have completed internships in Japan, while over 440 Uzbek students have received higher education through Japanese scholarship programmes. Japanese language courses are currently taught at seven universities in Uzbekistan.

Education, research and cultural exchange

On Saturday, December 20th, President Mirziyoyev met with Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Yohei Matsumoto, the head of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Tsuyoshi Sugino, and leaders of leading Japanese universities, including the University of Tsukuba, Nagoya University, Tottori University and Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.

The discussions focused on cooperation in higher education, research and innovation, with particular attention to artificial intelligence, digital technologies, agriculture and water management, green energy, seismology and smart city development. New agreements were signed, including an intergovernmental accord on higher education and a memorandum on establishing a joint university in Uzbekistan in partnership with the University of Tsukuba.

Regional and cultural cooperation was also addressed during a meeting with Gen Nakagawa, Mayor of Nara. The sides highlighted the establishment of sister-city relations between Samarkand and Nara, preparations for an archaeological exhibition at the Nara National Museum in 2027, and plans to name one of Nara’s new parks in honour of Samarkand.

Parliamentary dialogue and youth cooperation

The Uzbek president also held talks with Masakazu Sekiguchi, President of Japan’s House of Councillors.

Discussions focused on the role of parliamentary diplomacy in advancing bilateral relations and supporting the implementation of agreements reached at the executive level.

Youth parliamentary initiatives, including plans for a Forum of Young Parliamentarians of Uzbekistan and Japan, as well as Japan’s participation in the Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians scheduled to take place in Samarkand in 2026, were also discussed.

Japan’s lawmakers have been increasingly involved in bilateral engagements, including participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union's 150th-anniversary session in Tashkent earlier this year.

Interparliamentary forum planned for 2026

President Mirziyoyev also met with Taro Aso, Vice President of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party and Chairman of the Parliamentary Friendship League with Uzbekistan.

Both sides praised the role of parliamentary “friendship groups” in advancing cooperation and agreed to hold the next Interparliamentary Forum in Uzbekistan in 2026.

Established in 2002, the Friendship League with Uzbekistan currently brings together more than 40 Japanese political figures, lawmakers and diplomats.

Economic issues were high on the agenda during the Tokyo talks. In a meeting with Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ryosei Akazawa, President Mirziyoyev noted the sharp increase in Japanese direct investment in Uzbekistan.

Discussions covered trade expansion, industrial cooperation and new joint projects, with a focus on renewable energy, decarbonisation, critical raw materials and advanced manufacturing.

The two sides also agreed to work towards establishing an intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation at the ministerial level, as well as to develop a joint action programme with the involvement of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and the Japan Association for Trade with Russia & NIS (ROTOBO).

Japanese businesses expand their presence in Uzbekistan

President Mirziyoyev addressed a high-level business meeting attended by executives from Japan’s leading corporations, banks and financial institutions, including Toyota, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Marubeni, NEC, Hitachi, Mitsui, JBIC and JICA.

Uzbekistan’s leader said the scale of participation reflected growing confidence among Japanese businesses, noting that cooperation has moved beyond contract-based projects towards direct investment, technology transfer and workforce training.

Over the past eight years, bilateral trade has doubled, while the number of Japanese companies operating in Uzbekistan has increased tenfold.

Today, 117 enterprises with Japanese capital are active in sectors ranging from energy and IT to healthcare, education and tourism.

In 2024, trade turnover reached €365 million, up 64.1% year-on-year. Uzbekistan’s main exports to Japan include services, chemical products and industrial goods, while imports are dominated by cars and transport equipment.

Mirziyoyev outlined Uzbekistan’s development priorities, noting that the country’s GDP has doubled over the past eight years. By 2030, Uzbekistan aims to reach upper-middle-income status.

Japanese businesses were invited to participate in large-scale modernisation efforts, including renewable energy and energy storage, carbon-intensity reduction, deep processing of critical minerals, high-tech manufacturing, artificial intelligence and digitalisation.

With support from Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JICA), preparations are under way to establish a special economic zone in Uzbekistan based on Japanese standards and management models.

The business programme continued with meetings with Nobumitsu Hayashi, Governor of JICA, and Akihiko Tanaka, President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JBIC).

The JBIC project portfolio in Uzbekistan has exceeded €4.5 billion, covering energy, petrochemicals, telecommunications, infrastructure and healthcare, with additional projects worth more than €9 billion under preparation.

Meanwhile, cooperation with JICA has grown to over €7 billion, with new initiatives in healthcare, education, transport, agriculture and industrial development. Both sides confirmed readiness to launch projects supporting youth and women’s entrepreneurship, employment and poverty reduction.

Mirziyoyev met with Shingo Ueno, president of Sumitomo Corporation, and with Ichiro Takahara and Jun Inomata, heads of the Japanese organisations JOGMEC and ITOCHU.

The discussions focused on expanding cooperation in energy, natural resources, industry and investment, as well as advancing joint projects in priority sectors of Uzbekistan’s economy.