site.btaParliament Speaker, Japanese Parliamentary Delegation Leader Discuss Ways to Advance Economic Cooperation

Ways to advance trade and economic cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan topped the agenda of a meeting on Monday between National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan and the Chairman of the Friendship Group with Bulgaria in the House of Councillors of the Japanese Parliament Junichi Ishii, the National Assembly said.

A delegation of the Friendship Group with Bulgaria in the Upper House of the Japanese Parliament, led by Ishii, is on a working visit to Bulgaria.

Bulgaria and Japan enjoy long-standing friendly relations and are at the most intensified stage of their bilateral cooperation, noted Raya Nazarian. Bulgaria regards Japan as a valuable and desirable partner, as a guarantor of quality, reliability and honesty, Nazaryan noted. She expressed confidence that the good ties and fruitful dialogue between the parliamentarians of the two countries will contribute to the further development of relations in various spheres of mutual interest.

According to Nazaryan, despite the excellent bilateral relations, there is still untapped potential for the development of cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan in the trade and investment sphere and in the tourism sector. "We would be happy to have more Japanese investments in Bulgaria, and we are ready to work towards increasing the structure and volume of Bulgarian exports to Japan and boosting tourism exchange," Nazaryan stressed. She expressed hope that the upcoming Expo 2025 in Osaka will provide new opportunities for expanding cooperation between the two countries in the fields of information technology, automotive industry, artificial intelligence, energy and innovation.

Junichi Ishii said that Bulgaria is an important partner of Japan because the two countries share common values. He noted that Bulgaria and Japan enjoy very good cooperation in the economic and cultural spheres.

Ishii recalled that in 2024 three important anniversaries will be celebrated for bilateral relations - 115 years since the first official contacts, 85 years since the establishment and 65 years since the restoration of diplomatic relations, which are another proof of the warm friendly ties between Japan and Bulgaria. National Assembly Chair Nazaryan said that she is looking forward to the visit of the Speaker of the House of  Representatives of the Diet of Japan, Fukushiro Nukaga, to Sofia in September.