Astana: Japan and Kazakhstan have agreed
to promote cooperation helping the world be free of nuclear
weapons.
Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and his Kazakh
counterpart Kanat Saudabayev also agreed to accelerate
cooperation in the development of natural resources and
energy, including uranium, Japanese officials said.
In his meeting with Saudabayev in the Kazakh capital,
Okada was quoted as saying, "It is important for the two
countries to work together to help achieve a world without
nuclear weapons."
In response, Saudabayev agreed to promote efforts to help
the world move toward the elimination of nuclear weapons, the
officials said.
While touching on the 65th anniversary yesterday of the
US atomic bombing of Nagasaki during World War II, the Kazakh
foreign minister said it was a tragic day for the history of
Japan and the world, the officials said.
Saudabayev was also quoted as saying that he can well
understand the pain and suffering of the victims of the atomic
bombing as many people living near the former nuclear test
site of Semipalatinsk have suffered damage to their health.
On the economic front, Okada was quoted as saying there
is more room for mutually beneficial cooperation as Kazakhstan
is rich in natural resources and energy while Japan has
relevant technologies.
Okada arrived in Kazakhstan yesterday after visiting
Uzbekistan to attend Saturday`s "Central Asia plus Japan"
dialogue involving Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
PTI
