site.btaBulgarian President Radev Addresses Students at Toyo University in Tokyo

Tokyo, October 23 (BTA) - Bulgarian President Rumen Radev gave a speech to the students of Toyo University in Tokyo about the role of students in global processes and the prospects for the promotion of Bulgarian-Japanese relations, the President's Press Secretariat said on Wednesday.

The University of Toyo was established in 1887 and actively cooperates with Bulgarian universities and grants scholarships to students from Bulgaria.

"Your generation is called upon to tackle major challenges such as climate change, sustainable development, building and developing selfless relationships between peoples and between governments," the President told his audience, noting that many of these problems are held over from previous generations.

"The post-Cold War world is even more unpredictable and volatile. The arms race and attempts to dominate from a position of strength, increasing inequalities and terrorism further exacerbate the challenges we face," Radev said.

He stressed that Bulgaria and Japan are linked by a strong spiritual bond that has stood the test of time. According to the head of State, both the Bulgarian and Japanese people have amassed wisdom over the centuries and believe in the power of education, knowledge, culture and mutual trust as fundamental values for building a peaceful, stable and harmonious world.

"Cultural and educational exchanges are the shortest way for two nations to get to know each other," the President noted, inviting students to visit our country and to experience our nature, language, spirituality and culture on site. He spoke of the growing interest among Bulgarian youth in studying Japanese and learning more about Japanese culture.

The students asked the guest a number of questions about the Bulgarian transition to democracy, the negative demographic trends in his country, the state of the Bulgarian pension system, the transformation of the Bulgarian Armed Forces within NATO, etc.

The President received an honorary doctorate from Toyo University.

Later in the day, at a ceremony at the Bulgarian Embassy in Tokyo, President Radev presented high Bulgarian state honours to a number of Japanese statesmen for their contribution to the strengthening of bilateral contacts and the partnership between Bulgaria and Japan. Toshimitsu Motegi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Chairman of the Japan-Bulgaria Friendship Group in the House of Representatives (lower house) of the National Diet, and Hiromi Yoshida, former Chairman of the Japan-Bulgaria Friendship Group in the House of Councillors (upper house) of the National Diet, received the Order of the Madara Horseman, First Class. The Order of the Madara Horseman, Second Class, was presented to Kazunori Tanaka, Minister of Reconstruction and Secretary-General of the Japan-Bulgaria Friendship Group in the House of Representatives of the National Diet, to Junichi Ishii, MP and Secretary-General of the Japan-Bulgaria Friendship Group in the House of Councillors of the National Diet, and to Akiko Igaya, Director-General of the Japanese-Bulgarian Association for Friendship and Cultural Relations and Director-General of the Japan-Bulgaria Foundation. LN /DT//