Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - A seminar on bilateral cooperation between Uzbekistan and Japan was held in the capital of Japan, in which representatives of the Embassy of Uzbekistan talked about the tourism potential of Surkhandarya region, Dunyo reported.

The event, organized by the Japan-Uzbekistan Silk Road Fund, was attended by representatives of the Foreign Ministries of the two countries, the Japanese Tourism Agency, the Uzbekistan Airways National Airline in Tokyo, academia, travel agencies, and the media.

The seminar noted that the Great Silk Road served to establish and develop cultural ties between our peoples.

A close cultural exchange between the peoples of our countries continues to enrich cultural ties. A vivid example of this is the selfless work of Professor Kyuzo Kato, who devoted more than 50 years of his life to the study of history, archeology and ethnography of Uzbekistan and thereby contributed to the cultural rapprochement of the Uzbek and Japanese peoples.

The event also emphasized that the official visit of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Japan last year opened a new era in Uzbek-Japanese relations.

During the presentation of the tourism potential of Uzbekistan, participants were informed about the reforms and achievements in this direction, creating favorable conditions for travelers. In particular, special attention was paid to the rich potential of Surkhandarya region.

In turn, the Japanese side noted that the government of this country pays great attention to the development of cooperation in the field of tourism with the countries of Central Asia, including Uzbekistan, identifying this direction as one of the main topics of interaction within the framework of the Central Asia + Japan format from last year. ".

It was also emphasized that the introduction by Uzbekistan of a visa-free regime in February 2018 for Japanese citizens contributed to the growth of Japanese tourists’ interest in the republic. So, according to the results of 2019, the number of Japanese travelers who visited our country exceeded 25 thousand people.

The Japanese side praised the efforts of the leadership of Uzbekistan to jointly organize charter flights, the number of which is increasing year after year.