On September 23-24, 2026, Mr. Yuji Mori, Senior Advisor, and Mr. Kenta Aoki, Senior Research Fellow, of the Center for Mediation Support (CMS) of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, participated as speakers in the Inaugural “Central Asia-Japan” Think Tank Forum held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The forum was jointly organized by the International Institute for Central Asia (IICA) and the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia of the University of Tokyo, in partnership with the University of World Economy and Diplomacy. It was convened in the wake of the summit of the “Central Asia-Japan” Dialogue held in Tokyo in December 2025, with the aim of promoting cooperation between Central Asian countries and Japan.
Drawing on the examples of the Nippon Foundation’s assistance in Cambodia and Myanmar, Mr. Mori highlighted the effectiveness of humanitarian assistance in the field of peace mediation as a means of building trust and emphasized the importance of collaboration between governmental and non-governmental actors. Mr. Aoki proposed the launch of a Japan-Uzbekistan Track II dialogue initiative to address issues related to Afghanistan.
The forum brought together experts and practitioners from universities, think tanks, private foundations, and aid agencies in Central Asia and Japan. Participants engaged in active discussions on the key priority areas identified in the Tokyo Declaration adopted in December 2025, including green and resilience, connectivity, and human resource development.
Through continued participation in international forums and by strengthening networks with peace mediation practitioners and stakeholders, the CMS will continue to advance research on peace mediation support and disseminate knowledge and insights on Japan’s contributions in this field.
