site.btaVarna Mayor Confers with Japanese Ambassador

Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev conferred here on Friday evening with Japan's Ambassador to Bulgaria Hisashi Michigami, Varna City Hall said in a press release on Saturday.

"Our two countries should deepen their cultural exchanges," Kotsev said during the meeting. He added that, in addition to economic contacts, culture and sports, too, sustainably lead to good international relations. "Varna residents are known for their fondness of Japanese martual arts. Varna Municipality is open to deeper cultural exchanges with Japan and would organize cultural events jointly with the Japanese Embassy," he added.

The Ambassador stressed that because of their limited natural resources Bulgaria and Japan are close in both relying on human capital for sustainable growth. He also praised the beauty of Bulgarian nature and recalled the decades of good bilateral relations. In his words, business is just one element of these relations, and science, culture, tourism and academic exchange are other especially important areas. According to the diplomat, Bulgaria can do more to be identifiable in Asia, especially as far as cultural ties are concerned. 

Michigami said that he was in Varna on his own initiative in connection with the opening of a new office of the Bulgarian company Stargate Bulgaria for management of car carriers in collaboration with Japanese shipping conglomerate company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha ("K" Line). "Varna has solid maritime traditions. There is a modern Naval Academy in the city and successful shipping businesses. Japanese shipping operators are reliable partners and operate with exceptional professionalism," the Mayor emphasized for his part.

Deputy Mayors Pavel Popov and Dian Ivanov also attended the meeting. Kotsev presented to the Japanese Ambassador a replica of the world's oldest gold treasure found in the Varna Chalcolithic Necropolis and books on the city's historical heritage.