Bulgaria and Japan Sign Joint Statement on Economic Cooperation

Dimitrina Solakova, Delyan Petrishki

Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev and Japan's Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Akiyoshi Kato, signing a Joint Statement on Economic Cooperation, Sofia, June 25, 2025 (BTA Photo/Nikola Uzunov)

Sofia,

25.06.2025 10:33

(BTA)

Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth, Tomislav Donchev, and Japan's Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Akiyoshi Kato, signed a Joint Statement on Economic Cooperation here on Wednesday. The document was signed within a bilateral business forum on infrastructure, energy, and digitization, organized by the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency, in partnership with the Embassy of Japan in Bulgaria, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).

In the statement as presented by the Government Information Service, the two sides declare their interest in exchanging information and experience in the field of energy transformation, innovations based on Bulgaria's highly qualified IT workforce, digital and rail connectivity, and identifying opportunities for joint initiatives in support of the reconstruction of Ukraine.

The Japanese side expresses its readiness to deepen cooperation through the introduction of Japanese modern technologies aiming to avoid critical problems such as energy security in the context of the war in Ukraine.

In addition, focus is placed on investments by Japanese companies in Bulgaria, with both countries being able to provide potential financial support for projects, including those related to infrastructure in Bulgaria.

Last but not least, the Japanese side, in cooperation with the Bulgarian side, seeks to strengthen the activities of the JETRO in Bulgaria, with emphasis placed on the reopening of the JETRO office in Sofia.

Japan's Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Akiyoshi Kato, with a delegation of about 50 representatives of Japanese companies, began a two-day visit to Bulgaria on June 24. The main purpose of the visit is to explore investment opportunities and expand bilateral cooperation in strategic sectors.

/DS/