YEVA HARUTYUNYAN
Asian states , except Turkmenistan , declared to launch the new forum - “ Central Asia Plus Japan .”
The changes in international security as a result of 9 / 11 and dramatically shifts of a regional strategic environment in Central Asia made Japan play more active role for securing peace and stability not only in this region , but also in entire Eurasian continent . 31 The dialogue will be pursued through the five pillars of ( 1 ) political dialogue , ( 2 ) intraregional cooperation , ( 3 ) business promotion , ( 4 ) intellectual dialogue and ( 5 ) cultural and people-to-people exchange . While stressing the importance of intra-regional cooperation for realizing peace and stability and economic prosperity , Summit of Ministers listed ten possible areas of intra-regional cooperation including counter-terrorism , drug trafficking , mining , the environment , water , energy , etc . 32
Japan ’ s Foreign Minister Taro Aso as a predecessor of Kawaguchi continued his policy . The following guidelines was stressed by Taro Aso in his speech titled as “ Central Asia as a Corridor of Peace and Stability ”: 1 ) approaching the region from a broad-based perspective ; 2 ) supporting “ open regional cooperation ”; 3 ) seeking partnerships rooted in universal values ( democracy , a market economy , the safeguarding of human rights , and the rule of law ). Thus , Aso developed Kawaguchi ’ s concept of Japan ’ s Central Asian policy putting forward “ universal values .” 33
During the second ministerial meeting of “ Central Asia Plus Japan ” forum member states released an action plan for developing above-mentioned pillars , especially that of intra-regional cooperation . 34
In August 2006 Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi at first visited the Central Asian republics . It is remarkable that in the same year the
31
Ibid , 80 .
32
“ Central Asia Plus Japan ” Dialogue / Senior Officials Meeting ( SOM ), Website of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan , March 4 , 2005 , https :// www . mofa . go . jp / announce / announce / 2005 / 3 / 0304-2 . html ( accessed August 11 , 2020 ).
33
Takeshi , “ Japan ’ s Multilateral ,” 82 .
34
“ Central Asia Plus Japan ” Dialogue - Action Plan , Website of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan , June 5 , 2006 , https :// www . mofa . go . jp / region / europe / dialogue / action0606 . html ( accessed August 11 , 2020 ). 36