Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Visits Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan (Kazakhstan)

Prime Minister Visits Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan (Kazakhstan) Monday, August 28 to Tuesday, August 29, 2006 JAPANESE

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Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi left on the government plane from Haneda Airport on August 28 to visit the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan. He arrived in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on the same afternoon (Japan time: evening of the same day). After attending the welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace, Prime Minister Koizumi held talks with Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev, the President of Kazakhstan. The two leaders agreed to enhance cooperation for energy resources through such measures as the development of uranium mines and the introduction of nuclear power stations. After the meeting, the two leaders issued a joint statement on the further development of their countries' friendly relations and cooperation through partnership, and held a signing ceremony of a memorandum on peaceful use of nuclear power. Prime Minister Koizumi also announced a plan to accept approximately 2,000 trainees and students from countries of Central Asia in the next three years as part of official development assistance (ODA) and human resource exchange and development programs. On the morning of August 29 (Japan time: afternoon of the same day), Prime Minister Koizumi offered flowers to the Monument to the Motherland Defenders of the Great Patriotic War. Afterwards, he left for Uzbekistan, the next destination of the visit.