Japanese foreign minister promises to consider further aid to Uzbekistan


Japanese news agency Kyodo
December 5

Foreign Minister of Japan Makiko Tanaka promised visiting Uzbek Prime Minister Otkir Sultonov on Wednesday [5 December] that Japan will consider continued economic assistance to the Central Asian country, a Japanese ministry official said. Tanaka, responding to Sultonov's request to think about the possibility of expanding the scope of Japan's aid, said Japan will "consider as much as possible" the country's further needs despite Japan's difficult fiscal situation.

The foreign minister said she believes Japan's assistance to Uzbekistan so far has been used effectively. Japan has provided a combined 60bn yen in grant aid, yen loans and technical cooperation to the country since 1993, the official said.

Sultonov, in Japan for five days until Friday [7 December], said his country's reform efforts have slowed due to the effects of the 11 September terrorist attacks on the United States and that Uzbekistan has been suffering its worst drought for two years now.

The Uzbek leader thanked Japan for its understanding and support, which he said helped his country undergo economic development and reduced the burden on the government's budgetary concerns, the official said. He said Uzbekistan considers itself a representative of Japan's interests in Central Asia and expressed hope that his country and Japan can deepen relations in this respect, according to the official.