Kazakhstan Firming Up Trade Relationships, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreements with Hiroshima, Japan
In a significant meeting held at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum on July 16, 2025, Hidehiko Yuzaki, Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture, and Olzhas Bektenov, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, discussed deepening cooperation between their regions. The focus of the discussion was the Hiroshima-Semei initiative, a collaboration that aims to promote nuclear disarmament, peacebuilding, and knowledge exchange.
Both leaders emphasised their shared commitment to nuclear non-proliferation. Hiroshima, a city that bears the tragic consequences of nuclear weapons, partners with Kazakhstan, a key player in Central Asia against nuclear proliferation. Kazakhstan expressed its gratitude for Japan's intention to provide a grant to combat the consequences of nuclear tests in Semei, specifically targeting improvements in radiation medicine and social support for affected populations.
The economic aspect of the partnership has also shown robust growth. In 2024, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Japan reached $1.8 billion. Japanese investments in the Kazakh economy over the past two decades totaled approximately $8.3 billion, with major companies such as Toyota, Hitachi, and Marubeni playing significant roles. Over 60 Japanese companies currently operate in Kazakhstan, some with activities linked to the Abai Region.
Humanitarian initiatives tied to the Hiroshima legacy continue to flourish, with programs like the Green Legacy Hiroshima reflecting a broader network of peace and environmental sustainability efforts. These involve international partners across countries promoting Hiroshima’s peace message, symbolized notably through the preservation and distribution of hibakujumoku (survivor trees from Hiroshima) seeds and saplings worldwide.
The current status of the Hiroshima-Semei initiative and cooperation between Japan's Hiroshima Prefecture and Kazakhstan's Abai Region centres on strengthened bilateral ties in trade, economic collaboration, nuclear non-proliferation, and humanitarian efforts. The cooperation also positions both sides collaboratively ahead of important international forums such as the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), reinforcing their global role in peace and security.
[1] Source: Hiroshima City Official Website [2] Source: Kazakhstan's Prime Minister's Office [3] Source: Green Legacy Hiroshima Official Website
- In the context of the meeting held at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, both Hidehiko Yuzaki and Olzhas Bektenov highlighted their shared commitment to policy and legislation related to war-and-conflicts, specifically focusing on nuclear non-proliferation.
- As part of the multifaceted Hiroshima-Semei initiative, Hidehiko Yuzaki and Olzhas Bektenov have pledged to take politics beyond economic collaboration, working collectively to influence general-news agendas, such as peacebuilding, nuclear disarmament, and humanitarian efforts, as demonstrated by their coordinated efforts in international forums like the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
