site.btaJapanese Parliamentarians Visit Bulgaria

Japanese Parliamentarians Visit Bulgaria

Sofia, October 13 (BTA) - President Rosen Plevneliev Tuesday
received a delegation of the Upper House of the National Diet of
 Japan led by Koichi Kishi, President of the Japan-Bulgaria
Parliamentary Friendship Association. The sides stressed that
despite the distance between them, Bulgaria and Japan have
strong cultural links and a considerable potential to deepen
trade, economic and investment cooperation. 

In 2014, the two countries marked the 55th anniversary of their
diplomatic relations. During the democratic transition in
Bulgaria Japan provided over 700 million euro for a number of
projects, including Sofia's metro.
 
Plevneliev said Japanese businesses in Bulgaria were a serious
factor creating thousands of jobs. Bulgaria is known in Japan
for some of its traditional products. In this connection, the
Bulgarian President welcomed Meiji Group's plans to expand the
market for Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt in other Asian countries.

The sides also stressed they wanted to continue their active
cooperation in education and culture. Every year dozens of
Bulgarians study in Japanese universities, and more than 1,000
Bulgarian school and university students study Japanese.

The parliamentarians asked questions about the Bulgarian
experience of coping with the migration crisis in Europe and
told Plevneliev about Japan's plans to support the efforts of
Europe and Middle East countries to deal with the aftermath of
the migrant influx.

Plevneliev reiterated that as regards the migrant crisis,
Bulgaria is an example of obeying the European rules because it
has registered some 40,000 immigrants in two years. "Bulgaria
has always been part of the solution of problems, which can be
found only through a joint European approach and abiding by the
rules. As to migrants, Bulgaria has taken a responsible approach
 and strictly respects human rights and democratic principles,"
he said.

Bulgaria and Japan will work to deepen top-level political
dialogue, it emerged from the meeting between Plevneliev and
Kishi.

Japan has approved a procedure for import of Bulgarian poultry
meat and goose liver, meaning that these Bulgarian products
already have access to the local market, Deputy Economy Minister
 Lyuben Petrov said at the opening of a Bulgarian-Japanese
business forum earlier in the day. It was attended by
representatives of more than 50 companies and was held as part
of a project financed under Operational Programme Development of
 the Competitiveness of the Bulgarian Economy.

Petrov added that a procedure leading to a permission for
Bulgarian pork export to Japan was under way. This will allow
many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to find partners
in that country. Petrov called on the Japanese companies to view
 Bulgaria as a gateway to the whole of Europe, and explained
that businesses can enter state-owned and private industrial
zones in Bulgaria.

Koichi Kishi said at the forum that Japan has 35 million SMEs,
most of which are seeking opportunities to enter new markets.

Marieta Zaharieva, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Small and
 Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency, met with Atsushi Toyonaga,
 General Manager of the SME Unit of the Japan Finance
Corporation.