Japan and Turkmenistan are entering a new stage in their bilateral relationship, with economic cooperation, regional connectivity, international diplomacy and emerging technologies set to feature prominently during Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi’s visit to Ashgabat on 29–30 August.
Writing ahead of his visit in an article published by Turkmenistan’s Russian-language newspaper ‘Neutral Turkmenistan’ on 29 August, Motegi described the relationship between the two countries as one built over more than three decades on friendship, trust and mutual benefit.
The visit will be the first by a Japanese foreign minister to Turkmenistan in nine years. Motegi said he was particularly pleased to have the opportunity to visit Ashgabat and see its distinctive white-marble architecture firsthand.
Japan was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Turkmenistan following its independence in 1992. Since then, the two countries have expanded cooperation across political, economic and humanitarian spheres.
Central Asia’s growing strategic importance
In his article, Motegi placed bilateral relations within the broader transformation taking place across Central Asia.
He noted the region’s sustained economic growth and its increasingly important role as a trade bridge between Europe and Asia. At the same time, he stressed that the rapidly changing international environment is having a significant impact on Central Asian states, making cooperation that extends beyond the region increasingly important.
Japan, according to Motegi, has long recognized the strategic significance of Central Asia, including Turkmenistan.
In 2004, Tokyo launched the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue, becoming the first country to establish such a format with the region. The initiative was designed to promote regional cooperation while maintaining the leading role of the Central Asian states themselves.
Over more than two decades, the dialogue has developed into a regular diplomatic platform, including 10 foreign ministers’ meetings, some of them held online, as well as numerous political consultations and humanitarian exchanges.
A major milestone came in December 2025, when Tokyo hosted the first-ever summit of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan took part in the summit during his visit to Japan.
Neutrality and international cooperation
Motegi also highlighted Turkmenistan’s policy of permanent neutrality as an important dimension of the bilateral relationship.
Last year marked 30 years since the United Nations General Assembly formally recognized Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality in 1995. Japan, the minister wrote, highly values Ashgabat’s diplomatic efforts to promote peace and stability amid a complex geopolitical environment.
Japan was among the co-sponsors of the UN General Assembly resolution on Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality adopted in March 2025.
Motegi said Japan intends to continue working with Turkmenistan as an important international partner to support and strengthen a free and open international order based on the rule of law.
The emphasis on neutrality is particularly significant as both countries seek to expand cooperation against the backdrop of shifting geopolitical and economic dynamics across Eurasia.
From gas processing to the circular economy
Economic cooperation remains one of the strongest pillars of Japan-Turkmenistan relations.
Motegi pointed to the successful implementation of major Japanese-Turkmen projects, including industrial facilities for converting natural gas into gasoline and producing fertilizers.
He described the partnership as an example of how Japan’s technological capabilities can complement Turkmenistan’s substantial natural-resource base.
At the same time, the two countries are looking to broaden cooperation beyond traditional energy and industrial projects.
According to Motegi, new projects are expected to draw on Japanese expertise in areas such as the circular economy, including recycling, as well as artificial intelligence.
This suggests a gradual expansion of the bilateral economic agenda from resource-based industrial cooperation toward technologies and solutions associated with a more diversified and sustainable economy.
Expo 2025 opened a new avenue for cooperation
The Japanese minister also referred to the role of cultural and public diplomacy in strengthening bilateral ties.
At Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov attended Turkmenistan’s National Day on 14 April 2025. Motegi said the Turkmen pavilion provided the Japanese public with an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the country.
The president’s visit to the Japan Pavilion also helped launch cooperation in the field of the circular economy.
Tokyo now expects Turkmenistan to further showcase its potential at GREEN×EXPO 2027, scheduled to open in Yokohama in March 2027.
People-to-people ties as a “bridge of friendship”
Motegi also drew attention to the growing interest in Japan and Japanese language studies in Turkmenistan.
He recalled the unveiling of a bust of Japanese Nobel Prize-winning writer Yasunari Kawabata at the cultural and park complex dedicated to Turkmen poet Magtymguly Pyragy.
The Japanese foreign minister expressed hope that Turkmen citizens studying Japanese language and culture would eventually become “bridges of friendship” between the two countries.
The cultural dimension of the relationship, he suggested, complements the expanding political and economic partnership by creating long-term people-to-people connections.
Looking toward 35 years of diplomatic relations
Motegi’s visit comes at a significant moment for Japan-Turkmenistan relations. Next year will mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.
The Japanese foreign minister said he intends to use the visit to exchange views frankly with Turkmenistan on a broad range of bilateral and international issues and to build on the results of President Berdimuhamedov’s two visits to Japan in 2025, as well as the first “Central Asia plus Japan” summit.
The objective, he wrote, is to raise bilateral relations to a “qualitatively new level.”
Taken together, the priorities outlined by Motegi point to a relationship that is gradually expanding beyond its traditional economic foundations. Energy and industrial cooperation remain important, but Japan and Turkmenistan are increasingly looking toward new areas — from artificial intelligence and the circular economy to regional connectivity, diplomacy and human exchanges.
With Motegi’s Ashgabat visit and the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations approaching in 2027, both sides have an opportunity to turn the political momentum of recent years into a broader and more diversified partnership.