Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 26 August, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, accompanied by his wife, visited Samarkand as part of his official visit to Uzbekistan.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the head of the Japanese diplomatic corps held a working lunch with Uzbekistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Bobur Usmanov and Deputy Hokim of Samarkand Region Rustam Kobilov.

The sides discussed the development of bilateral cooperation and the promotion of regional exchange in the fields of economy, culture, and tourism.

Minister Iwaya also laid flowers at the mausoleum of Islam Karimov, paying tribute to Uzbekistan’s first president, who made a significant contribution to strengthening Uzbek-Japanese relations, including during his three visits to Japan.

During the visit, the minister toured the Samarkand Automobile Plant, where, in collaboration with ISUZU Motors Limited and ITOCHU Corporation, production of Japanese-brand vehicles has been established.

He also visited an apple orchard developed under the JICA partnership program, “Improving Apple Cultivation Techniques and Dissemination Among Farmers.”