The rapidly escalating military tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan since late February, beyond bilateral issues, have also exposed Central Asia to new risks. The conflict not only affects regional security, but also threatens to cause major political, economic, and international security disruptions.

At the Summit of the Central Asia plus Japan Dialogue (CA+JAD), the Tokyo Declaration was issued, setting out an ambitious roadmap to promote cooperation across multiple fields between one of Asia’s leading economies and a region rich in potential. Japan and the five Central Asian countries agreed to enter a new phase of cooperation, elevating their ties to a broad and multidimensional strategic partnership.

Central Asia is grappling with an increasingly severe water crisis. Despite achieving notable progress in shifting from a competitive to a cooperative approach, the region still requires greater efforts to avert future water-related disasters.