Since the proclamation of the Independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan the Japanese government has been rendering comprehensive assistance to economic, industrial and ecological development of the country, deepening strategic partnership. So far the Japanese government has been cooperating with the Republic of Uzbekistan in the resolution of many different economic problems. Japan considers the regional cooperation of the Central Asia countries, including Uzbekistan, to be very important and in 2004 initiated the Dialogue ‘Central Asia +Japan’. The Dialogue is based on the ‘Respect of Diversity’, Competition and Coordination’, ‘Open Coordination’. Developing regional cooperation the government of Japan declared 2010 ‘The Year of Cooperation of Japan and Central Asia’. In 1993 the first trainees were sent from Uzbekistan to Japan. In same year the first expert in technical cooperation was sent from Japan to Uzbekistan. The activity of the Japanese Agency for International Cooperation (JICA) that was opened in Uzbekistan in 1999 became the base of this cooperation. The contribution of JICA into improvement of personnel capacity is especially significant. During the recent years over 1300 specialists and experts of our country were given the opportunity for job place training in Japan. 20 of the most talented young specialists of our country are annually sent for training to the best Japanese universities on grant basis. They specialized in the oil and gas, petrochemical, educational and medical areas, in expansion of telecommunication networks. Specialists, who trained in Japan, founded the Association of Former Probationers of JICA in Uzbekistan. They annually meet, communicate, inform each other about the achievements in their field of activity, make plans for future. This year has not become an exception. On 20 February next yearly meeting of the Association of Graduates of JICA Training Program in Uzbekistan was held in Tashkent. Representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Association of Farm Entities of Uzbekistan, the Uzbek Research Institute of Market Reforms, the Uzbek Research Hydrometeorology Institute ‘Uzhydromet’, the State Tax Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan and other participated in the yearly meeting. Mr. Ukihiko Ejiri the Head of Representatives Office of JICA in Uzbekistan also took part in it. During the event the Chief Coordinator and members of Executive Team of the Association told the participants about the work carried out in 2009; the mini-projects implemented in 2009 were presented. The participants of the yearly meeting of the Association of Graduates of JICA Training Program in Uzbekistan discussed also the plan of works in their areas for 2010. They express their hope that broadening of economic relations of Japan and the Republic of Uzbekistan will allow strengthening friendship and cooperation of our nations.

R. Ibragimov