Vice-president Margarita Popova’s visit to the Japan started with a meeting held with Masaaki Yamazaki, President of the House of Councilors of the Japanese Parliament. Education, science and culture were highlighted as the most successful and perspective sectors of cooperation between the two countries.
Margarita Popova and Masaaki Yamazaki emphasized the necessity to expand the business contacts between Bulgaria and Japan. “We are interested in investments in the sphere of renewable energy sources,” Masaaki Yamazaki said during the meeting. Vice-president Margarita Popova, for her part, voiced her conviction that the relations between the European Union and Japan will continue to improve.
The Bulgarian vice-president and the President of the House of Councilors of the Japanese Parliament made a review of the bilateral relations on the level of the parliamentary groups for friendship and cooperation. Margarita Popova reiterated the already issued invitation to Masaaki Yamazaki to visit Bulgaria at a time which is convenient for him.
Within the context of the 55th anniversary since the diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Japan were resumed, the bilateral contacts were defined as strong and profound. “Bulgaria has always been Japan’s friend and we will never forget the help you offered us after the dreadful natural disaster in 2011,” the President of the House of Councilors of the Japanese Parliament further said.
Masaaki Yamazaki voiced regret that Kaloyan Mahlyanov-Kotooshu, the most famous Bulgarian sumo wrestler, has quitted his sport’s career. However, he wished his compatriot Danail Ivanov-Aoiyama success in the final day of the May sumo tournament.
Margarita Popova congratulated her host on the election of Tokyo for capital of the 2020 Summer Olympic games. “I am sure that the preparation of this sporting event will be excellent because it will be the result of the traditional internal harmony in the Japanese society,” the Bulgarian Vice-president further added.
As a sign of respect to his Bulgarian visitor, Masaaki Yamazaki invited Vice-president Margarita Popova to take his president’s seat in the plenary hall of the upper chamber of Parliament, after which he presented the work of the institution.
On 23 May Vice-president Margarita Popova will hold talks with Prime Minister of Japan Shindzo Abe and with Akiko Igaya, director general of the Japanese-Bulgarian association for friendship and cultural ties. In the Meijie University in Tokyo the Vice-president will deliver a lecture on the topic of “Bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Japan – history, present and future.”