Japan to allocate grant for Kazakhstan to combat nuclear test consequences in Semey
Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has held today a meeting with the Governor of Japan’s Hiroshima Prefecture Hidehiko Yuzaki, Kazinform News Agency learned from primeminister.kz.
The talks centered on the issues of bilateral interaction, including trade-economic cooperation and humanitarian initiatives.
Kazakhstan attaches special importance to the development of expanded strategic partnership with Japan. In this regard, the Kazakh Government consistently implements the tasks outlined by the President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The sides discussed the prospects for further strengthening of ties between the Hiroshima Prefecture and Kazakhstan’s Abai region, highlighting the importance of implementing the Hiroshima-Semey Initiative and exchange of expertise within the Mayors for Peace international movement.
The parties expressed readiness for further interaction within the upcoming Review Conferences of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Hidehiko Yuzaki underscored the importance of cooperation between Japan and Kazakhstan in non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
He said Japan appreciates Kazakhstan’s support at the international arena. In his words, one of the goals of the Japanese delegation’s visit is to strengthen friendship.
“We, in Hiroshima, believe that we have an important mission – to work towards a world free from nuclear weapons. Kazakhstan is a member of the nuclear non-proliferation movement in Central Asia,” Hidehiko Yuzaki said.
For his part, Bektenov said that Kazakhstan sets a goal to deepen cooperation with Japan in such areas as health and social support of those injured by radiation and in development and implementation of radioactive medicine technologies.
He thanked the Japanese Government for the intention to allocate a grant for combating nuclear test consequences in Semey.
He also expressed confidence that this initiative will have a sustainable and long-term impact on improving health support quality.
In 2024, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Japan reached $1.8 billion. More than 60 Japanese companies are successfully operating in Kazakhstan. In the past 20 years, Japanese business invested approximately $8.3 billion tenge in Kazakhstan’s economy. Kazakhstan implemented several projects with the major Japanese companies, such as Toyota, Hitachi, Marubeni etc.