Japan brings balance to Central Asia

..Once Japan defined a clear purpose in Central Asia, it devised a sophisticated response marking the beginning of a new diplomatic phase in Central Asia. In a speech delivered to the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, then-prime minister Ryutaro Hashimoto outlined a new Eurasian foreign policy. Under the “Eurasian diplomacy”, Japan would help toward regional integration within Central Asia with plans to improve communication, transport and energy networks in the region. While acknowledging the expanding influence of Central Asian and Caspian oil and gas resources on the world energy supply, Hashimoto stated that Japan’s economic engagement with Central Asia would be based on the development of the energy sector, not as an end for Japan, but as a way to foster prosperity in the region.

Asia Times