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From Dialogue to Delivery: The Implementation Gap in the “Central Asia Plus Japan” Framework and Uzbekistan’s Role After The 2025 Summit

Durdona Toshboyeva
Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, Uzbekistan
DOI Crossref DOI 10.37547/tajpslc/Volume08Issue10-02
tajpslc 2026
VOL. 8 / NO. 10 OCTOBER
FULL TEXT PP. 7-13
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VOLUME 8
ISSUE 10
YEAR 2026
PAGES 7-13
RESEARCH OVERVIEW

Abstract

The first leaders-level summit of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue (CA+JAD), held in Tokyo in December 2025, created a new political opportunity for a framework established in 2004. Yet elevation to summit level does not by itself demonstrate that regional cooperation has become more effective. This article examines the institutional conditions under which summit commitments can be converted into coordinated and measurable outcomes, with particular attention to Uzbekistan’s potential role in connecting regional priorities with bilateral implementation. It asks: what mechanisms are needed to prevent the CA+JAD Tokyo Initiative from remaining a declaration-led process, and how can Uzbekistan help connect regional cooperation with nationally deliverable projects? The study uses qualitative document analysis of Japanese and Uzbek official records, summit outcomes, policy documents and academic literature. It proposes an implementation-chain framework distinguishing political commitment, operational coordination, project delivery and outcome measurement. The analysis finds that the 2025 summit broadened cooperation around green resilience, connectivity and human-capital development, while subsequent technical activity including a 2026 AI practitioners’ programme provides early evidence of follow-up. However, the public record does not yet justify a conclusion that the summit has produced region-wide outcomes. The article’s contribution is an evaluative framework for determining whether CA+JAD is moving from consultation to implementation.

RESEARCH TOPICS

Keywords

Central Asia plus Japan Dialogue Uzbekistan-Japan relations regional cooperation

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