Japan and the Republic of Korea have strengthened their presence across the Caspian in recent years, particularly through a number of cultural and economic projects. Additionally, South Korea is a growing destination for Central Asian migrant workers. While much has been made of China’s investment and aggressive foreign policy in Central Asia, Japan and South Korea’s substantial relationships in the region are too often underestimated. 

In conjunction with the Caspian Policy Center’s new policy brief titled “It’s Not Only China: Japan and Korea’s Growing Roles in Central Asia” we will gather Japanese, South Korean, and regional experts to discuss the growing roles of Japan and South Korea in the Caspian and their geopolitical significance. The discussion will cover Japanese and South Korean investment, development aid, and business in the Caspian as well as high-level political contacts between Central Asia’s capitals and Tokyo and Seoul. The experts will provide their perspective on Japan and South Korea’s activity in the region, possible future areas of engagement, and what these important relationships can mean for the United States and others.

Preliminary Agenda

9:00 - 9:05            Welcome Remarks – Efgan Nifti, Chief Executive Officer, Caspian Policy Center

9:05 - 9:25            Opening Statements

Moderator:

• Ambassador (ret.) Robert F. Cekuta, Advisory Board Member, Caspian Policy Center

Participants:

• Hiroyuki Suzuki, Chief Representative in Washington D.C., Japan Bank for International Cooperation
• Dr. Timur Dadabaev, Director of the Special Program for Japanese and Eurasian Studies at the Graduate School of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Tsukuba   
• Dr. Sabina Insabayeva, Assistant Professor of Central Eurasian Studies, University of Tsukuba
• Dante Schulz, Research Assistant, Caspian Policy Center

9:25 -9:55             Discussion and Q&A

9:55 - 10:00          Closing Remarks