site.btaSofia Mayor Vassil Terziev Holds Meetings with Ambassadors of Austria and Japan

Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said in a Facebook post that in the past two weeks, he met with the ambassadors of Austria and Japan. In the conversation with Austrian Ambassador Andrea Ikic-Bohm, Terziev presented some of the main priorities for the development of the capital, and during his meeting with Japanese Ambassador Hisashi Michigami, the two discussed the possibility of investments by Japanese companies.

"For many of us, Vienna is the gold standard for a developed city. The Austrian capital has been actively working to support the processes in our city for years. I shared with Andrea Ikic-Bohm, Ambassador of Austria, some of our main priorities for the development of Sofia," wrote Vasil Terziev. He pointed out that one of the priorities is to turn Vitosha into an attractive centre for year-round tourism. The Austrian experience in this area will be extremely useful, the Sofia Mayor added.
One of the proprieties will be more efficient use of Sofia's mineral waters, Vassil Terziev also added. "We will use modern technology and digital tools to make decisions that are based on data, not on subjective views," he noted.

Terziev and Ambassador Hisashi Michigami talked about the cooperation of the INSAIT Institute with the leading scientific institute RIKEN in Japan, said Terziev. He noted that the two organizations are already working on joint projects for the development of artificial intelligence with some of Japan's largest technology companies.

"As mayor, I will do everything possible to open the door for leading Japanese companies that want to invest in Sofia, our city has the full potential for this. I think we have common interests in the field of production, mobility, electric cars, waste management, smart cities," wrote the Sofia Mayor.

He stated that his ambition is to create a dynamic economy in Sofia and thus to improve the quality of life in the city, which will be felt by all Sofia residents. The experience of countries such as Austria and Japan can be very useful, Terziev argued.