Deputy Minister Katya Todorova met with Parliamentary Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Kentaro Sonoura
03 August 2015 News
Japan is a priority partner of Bulgaria in the Asia-Pacific region and we have traditionally friendly relations, Deputy Minister Katya Todorova told Kentaro Sonoura, Parliamentary Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, in the framework of his visit to Bulgaria.
Katya Todorova and Kentaro Sonoura discussed the state of bilateral Bulgarian-Japanese political and economic relations and emphasized their excellent level and promising prospects for future development.
Deputy Minister Todorova expressed Bulgaria’s gratitude for the long-term financial and expert assistance of Japan, which has substantially contributed to the development of our country during the years of political and economic transition.
Both sides expressed satisfaction with the state of political dialogue and shared the view that it is necessary to intensify it further through exchange of visits at the highest state and government level.
Katya Todorova and Kentaro Sonoura discussed the cooperation between the diplomatic services of the two countries, reaffirming their willingness to continue the internship exchange program for junior diplomats between the two ministries. They discussed also the activities of the working groups in the foreign ministries of the two countries to specify the date of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Japan.
The Japanese senior diplomat raised the issue of Japanese investments in Bulgaria, saying that it is particularly important to reach low investment risk through sustainable regulatory framework that would not be affected by the current political situation in Bulgaria. Another topic of discussion was the bilateral cooperation among small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as the preparation of a Memorandum of cooperation between the Bulgarian Investment Agency and suitable Japanese partner.
The Deputy Ministers also discussed the development of Bulgaria - Japan cooperation in various fields, such as tourism, prevention and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters and industrial accidents, interaction in the social sphere and in the field of science, education, technology and innovation. With regard to the growing challenges of global security and terrorism they expressed mutual willingness for further cooperation between the two countries in the defense sector. They underscored that there is an ongoing process of preparation of a Memorandum between the defense ministries of Bulgaria and Japan.
Deputy Minister Katya Todorova said that it would be interesting and useful for Bulgaria to use Japan’s experience in the field of development cooperation in the light of the changing role of our country, which undergoes a transformation from a recipient of official development assistance to a donor country.
The two diplomats also discussed the situation in Eastern Europe and exchanged views on the conflict in Ukraine, sanctions against Russia and their impact on the Bulgarian economy, energy security and diversification, priorities of Bulgaria's SEECP Chairmanship.
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