Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the National Archives of Japan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation, DKNews.kz reports.
In Tokyo, within the framework of the official visit of the Head of State, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to Japan, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the National Archives of Japan (NAJ).
The document is aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation in the archival field and provides for the exchange of professional experience, the implementation of joint research projects, cooperation in the area of digitization, as well as the organization of joint seminars, webinars, and conferences for archivists and records management specialists.
The Memorandum was signed by Director of the Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aliya Mustafina and President of the National Archives of Japan Kaoru Kamata. The signing ceremony took place at the NAJ building in Tokyo.
During the meeting, Director Aliya Mustafina presented to the Japanese colleagues the experience of the Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, including approaches to the preservation of documentary heritage, the development of digital archival services, and support for academic research.
“Cooperation with the National Archives of Japan is of strategic importance to us. The signed memorandum opens up new opportunities for professional exchange and the implementation of joint initiatives. In this context, the experience of the National Archives of Japan is largely in harmony with the transformations we are implementing in Kazakhstan with the support of the Head of State,” noted Aliya Mustafina, Director of the Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
In turn, a representative of the National Archives of Japan, Kaoru Kamata, stated that in recent years Japan’s archival system has been undergoing a reform process aimed at expanding access to archives for citizens and researchers. In particular, he spoke about preparations for the opening of a new National Archives building and the development of services ensuring broader and more convenient access to documentary heritage.
As in the Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National Archives of Japan pay special attention to the preservation of socially significant documents, their use in scholarly research, and increasing the openness of archives to society.
Cooperation between the Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the National Archives of Japan has been actively developing since 2024. In December last year, a delegation from the Archive of the President visited Tokyo. In January 2025, employees of the Archive, at the invitation of the Japanese side, took part in an international online seminar on the restoration and conservation of damaged paper-based documents.
Following the meeting, Aliya Mustafina invited representatives of the National Archives of Japan to participate in the III Congress of Archivists “Digital Archive EXPO,” planned to be held in 2026.
It should be noted that the Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan places special emphasis on the development of international cooperation. To date, the Archive has concluded more than 20 memoranda with foreign organizations. In accordance with the Archive’s Development Concept, a priority area remains the expansion and deepening of interaction with international partners for the exchange of professional knowledge and best practices.
