Its cochairs were Laziz Kudratov, Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Masayuki Tanimoto, Chairman of the JapanUzbekistan Committee and Senior Advisor to the President of Mitsubishi Corporation.

The discussion was attended by Kenji Yamada, Minister of State for Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, Kenji Hirata, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Uzbekistan, and heads of relevant departments, financial institutions, business associations and businesses. The Japanese side was represented by more than 130 participants, including leading corporations and development organizations.

The high level of interest from Japanese businesses is based on the agreements reached in December 2025 at the “Central Asia + Japan” summit and during the state visit. The portfolio of 75 projects worth 12 billion dollars, which was formed at that time, set the longterm agenda, and now the main focus is on its consistent implementation.

The stable dynamics of Uzbekistan’s economy provide a favourable foundation for this work. In 2025, it grew by 7.7 percent, and in the first half of the current year — by 8.5 percent.

Given the growing demand for modern technologies and infrastructure, the parties identified the energy sector, the chemical industry, mechanical engineering, critical minerals, healthcare, and IT as key areas. The common guidelines were the modernization of enterprises, localization, deep processing of raw materials, digitalization, and access to foreign markets.

To ensure that sectoral proposals move more quickly to implementation, financial and organizational conditions for investors were considered separately. Issues related to expanding nonsovereign financing and creating a special economic zone have been discussed. Taken together, these tools should provide access to capital, readymade sites, and the necessary infrastructure.

A separate growth potential is linked to the digital economy. More than 20 Japanese companies are already residents of IT Park Uzbekistan, and the country’s total export of IT services exceeds 1 billion dollars. This creates a foundation for expanding outsourcing, promoting digital solutions to the Japanese market, and implementing technological developments.

The substantive part of the meeting was complemented by presentations from representatives of relevant agencies of Uzbekistan, Japanese corporations, and educational and financial organizations. The focus was on industrial cooperation, digital transformation, the development of mineral resources, personnel training, and business support tools. This format made it possible to compare the needs of industries with the technologies and competencies of potential partners.

Following the meeting, a ceremony to sign bilateral documents was held. The program was continued by direct negotiations and business communication aimed at agreeing on further steps and establishing new contacts between companies from the two countries.