Kazakhstan Foreign Trade Chamber and ROTOBO discussed preparations for the Japan–Kazakhstan Joint Economic Committee meeting

On March 17, 2026, in Astana, at the venue of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan “Atameken,” representatives of the Kazakhstan Foreign Trade Chamber met with a delegation from the Japanese association ROTOBO.

From the Kazakhstan side, participants included Murat Karimsakov, Chairman of the Board of the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan, Sabr Yesimbekov, Co-chair of the Kazakhstan-Japan Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation, and Diana Zhakutova, Director of the Department of International Cooperation of the KazCIC. The Japanese side was represented by Takafumi Nakai, CEO of the ROTOBO Institute of Economic Research, and Miki Wajima, Vice CEO and Director of the Research Division of the ROTOBO Institute, who participated online.

The main topic of the meeting was the exchange of views in preparation for the upcoming session of the Japan-Kazakhstan Joint Public-Private Economic Committee. The parties held consultations on key organizational and substantive issues of the forthcoming event.

Opening the meeting, Murat Karimsakov emphasized the importance of bilateral dialogue: “We highly value the opportunities for meetings and dialogues with our Japanese partners and thank the representatives of ROTOBO for their attention to the development of Kazakhstan–Japan business cooperation.”

Special attention was given to the Kazakhstan side’s initiative to hold the Intergovernmental Commission session, which was agreed to take place from October to November of this year. Participants discussed possible parameters for the event and the format of interaction within the specified platform.

The Japanese side confirmed its interest in expanding cooperation with Kazakhstan. Takafumi Nakai identified the key priority sectors for collaboration: energy and decarbonization; renewable energy sources; clean energy technologies; critical minerals; logistics and transport infrastructure; and new business directions, including artificial intelligence, digital industry, and the use of space data.

In turn, Sabr Yesimbekov noted the alignment of the interests of the Kazakhstan and Japanese markets, including in agriculture and food: “The proposed topics largely correspond to the expectations of the Kazakhstan side. Today, special attention is given to the development of small and medium-sized businesses, as well as areas such as agriculture, logistics, tourism, and education.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties confirmed their interest in further developing Kazakhstan–Japan business cooperation, noted the importance of coordinating efforts, and expressed readiness to continue constructive dialogue.