15:07, 09 августа 2024, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Baktygul OSMONALIEVA
Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida has decided to cancel his tour of Central Asian countries, during which he was supposed to take part in a meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia in Kazakhstan, due to the threat of a powerful earthquake in the area of the Japanese islands. He told reporters about this.
«A decision was made to cancel visits to the countries of Central Asia and Mongolia,» the head of government told reporters, emphasizing that in the coming week all government efforts will be directed at monitoring the situation and preparing for a possible powerful earthquake in the Nankai fault.
He also noted that the authorities would actively work to prevent the spread of false information on the Internet about the possible earthquake.
Fumio Kishida was supposed to tour the Central Asian countries from August 9 to August 12. The first summit of the heads of state of the region in C5+1 format was planned in Astana with his participation, where an announcement of an economic aid package for the region was expected.
Some media outlets specified that the Prime Minister of Japan would voice proposals for the development of Central Asia, in particular in the area of decarbonization.
Japan intends to promote the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, connecting Central Asia with Europe via the Caspian Sea.
In recent years, Japanese seismologists have been greatly concerned about the possibility of an earthquake in the Nankai fault, which is located southeast of the coast of the central part of Honshu Island. On August 8, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 occurred in the southwest, after which seismologists announced an increased possibility of tremors in the Nankai fault.