Japan and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on Tuesday agreed to cooperate in helping build political and economic stability in Central Asian countries, government officials said.
In the first senior-level conference between Japan and the 55-member OSCE, held in Tokyo on Monday and Tuesday, participants discussed terrorism, drug trafficking and human rights violations in Central Asian countries as threats to regional security.
The participants agreed that international cooperation is essential in dealing with terrorism, such as the activities of Islamic fundamentalists.
Representatives of 36 OSCE countries, including those from the Central Asian countries of Uzbekistan, Kazakstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, attended the conference. The meeting was held to enhance political dialogue between Japan and Europe in an effort to stabilize the former communist states.