Photo: Ministry of Finance
‘Japan is a strategic partner for Bulgaria and strengthening the nearly 120-year bilateral cooperation is an ambition and a key objective for our country’. This is how Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Galab Donev welcomed the Ambassador of Japan H.E. Chikahisa Sumi at the Ministry of Finance.
They stressed the deep connection and history between the two countries and confirmed the possibilities for bilateral expansion of trade and economic ties.
‘Both countries develop their cooperation through electronics, artificial intelligence and high-tech. Bulgaria’s desire and ambition is for Japanese investments to increase even more as we have competitive advantages to the countries from Southeast Europe not only in terms of resources, but also in terms of people’, said Minister Donev.
H.E. Sumi highlighted Bulgaria’s strategic role as an external border of the EU and the opportunity to draw experience from one of the most developed countries in the field of infrastructure.
‘Bulgaria is the gateway to Europe, and Japan can help strengthen its connectivity to the continent. We have the desire and ambition to contribute by developing important infrastructure projects with Japanese technology. We have the know-how and the knowledge required for the construction of bridges and the renovation of roads. We will be very grateful, if we have the opportunity to apply them in Bulgaria’, said Ambassador Sumi.
Minister Donev took the helping hand and said that it is the public-private partnerships that are one of the ways to reduce the government deficit, being one of the big challenges for the government at the moment.
He also confirmed that Bulgaria would build on the commitments made during the visit of Mr. Rumen Radev as President in Japan in 2025 when the two countries signed a strategic partnership declaration.