The Head of State honours Japan's Ambassador Hiroshi Narahira with the Order of the Madara Horseman, First Class
Bulgaria and Japan share relations of friendship and partnership and have extremely good interaction internationally. This is what President Rumen Radev said when he honoured Ambassador of Japan to Bulgaria, H. E. Hiroshi Narahira, with the Order of the Madara Horseman, First Class, for the diplomat's outstanding services to the development of bilateral relations.
In his speech at the ceremony, which took place in the Coat of Arms Hall at the Presidency Building, the Head of State highlighted Ambassador Narahira's consistent efforts to deepen and develop Bulgarian-Japanese relations. With your persistence, activity and professionalism, you have managed to make the political dialogue stronger, to develop trade and economic relations and our cultural, educational and scientific ties, Radev said, noting that the Ambassador's mandate had coincided with the global pandemic of COVID-19 and the challenges that followed.
Japan is one of Bulgaria's key trade partners in East Asia, the President said and noted the upward development of bilateral trade, which in 2022 exceeded USD 300 million. I believe that it is far below our capabilities and the coming years will prove this, Rumen Radev further said.
As successful examples of cooperation, the Head of State highlighted the cooperation between LB Bulgaricum and the Japanese company Meiji, which this year signed a letter of intent to open a joint development centre for dairy products in Sofia. In December last year, the first European research and development centre in the field of electric vehicles was opened in Sofia by the company Nidek Elesis, which is among the major companies in the automotive sector in Japan. In 2023, the two countries also adopted a Joint Declaration on cooperation in the field of digitalisation and innovation.
Japan enjoys great popularity and respect in Bulgaria as a country of excellence in economy, science, technology, rich culture and traditions, the President further said. He also recalled that the friendly relations between the two countries have long-standing ties, but they have strengthened especially during Bulgaria's transition to democracy and market economy. Rumen Radev also expressed appreciation for the Japanese government's decision to allocate more than USD 1 million in aid for Ukrainian refugees in Bulgaria through the UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration and UNICEF.
Ambassador Hiroshi Narahira expressed his gratitude for the honour and for receiving the highest state award. He also stressed that the relations between Bulgaria and Japan are based on the friendship between the two peoples. The diplomat also thanked the efforts made personally by the President, as well as by many representatives of the Bulgarian and Japanese society for the establishment and development of bilateral ties.