A series of meetings between Turkmenistan's Ambassador Atadurdy Bayramov in Tokyo last week demonstrated that the two countries' partnership is reaching a new level—from classic trade to deep technological integration and large-scale humanitarian initiatives.
High-Level Diplomacy: Waiting for Sanae Takaichi
The meetings were based on political dialogue. In a conversation with Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ayano Kunimitsu, the Turkmen side confirmed its readiness to organize a visit by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to Turkmenistan.
The Japanese side also expressed gratitude for Turkmenistan's assistance in creating a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of Japanese citizens from Iran. This gesture underscored Ashgabat's status as a reliable peacekeeping hub in the region.
Technological Sovereignty and AI
Meetings with Minister of Economic Security Kimi Onoda and Director-General of the LDP International Bureau Taro Kono outlined an innovative direction. Japan views Turkmenistan as a promising partner in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation, the implementation of Japanese IT standards in public administration and the economy, cybersecurity, and green technologies, particularly scientific and innovative cooperation as part of the global transition to sustainable energy.
An important step was the discussion of direct ties between the ruling parties—the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan and the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan—laying the foundation for interparty diplomacy.
Horticulture and Ecology: The Path to Green EXPO 2027
Turkmenistan's environmental agenda will be vividly embodied in Yokohama. Details of the country's participation in the international exhibition Green EXPO 2027 Yokohama were discussed at a meeting with Masato Komura, Secretary General of the Association of Horticultural Exhibitions. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan has been appointed the project's main coordinator. The exhibition organizers promised to provide comprehensive support for the creation of a unique Turkmen exhibit.
Soft Power and Humanism
A humanitarian highlight of Turkmen-Japanese diplomatic ties was the Ambassador's participation in a children's festival in Tokyo, where the Japanese public organization FUJISAN Chidama Festa WA congratulated the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation on its fifth anniversary.
Japanese public figures praised the Foundation's recent humanitarian aid to children in Iran, noting their shared principles of peace. As a gesture of friendship, the Ambassador invited Japanese children and the organization's leadership to visit Turkmenistan to experience the Foundation's work and its national traditions of hospitality firsthand.
