JAPANESE ACTIVITIES IN KAZAKHSTAN

Kazinform, the official news agency of Kazakhstan, has recently carried two reports on Japanese activity in that Central Asian country.

The first of these reports noted that Japanese Ambassador Toshio Tsunozaki toured the Karaganda oblast of Kazakhstan on September 16th looking into economic conditions there. He was accompanied by representatives of Japanese construction companies. They visited a steel company and the Karaganda Economic University. It was noted that the Karabanda oblast currently imports vehicles, spare parts, and bricks worth about $US13 million from Japan.

The second report referred to a mission of Japanese law enforcement authorities to Kazakhstan. On September 23rd, Assistant Director of the Department on the Fight against International Terrorism Ikuya Yoshimura and Chief of Staff of the Police Agency Tetsuo Makino visited Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. The main topic of discussion was apparently Kazakhstan’s illicit drug trade, and the training of anti-drug law enforcement specialists.