Bulgaria is open to Japanese business. We want accelerated industrial cooperation with Japan. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry Alexander Pulev during a meeting with representatives of a Japanese business delegation, which is on an official visit to Bulgaria. The delegation is led by Mr. Fukushiro Nukaga, a Japanese statesman, former Minister of Finance and former Chairman of the House of Representatives of Japan.
The meeting discussed the possibilities for deepening bilateral economic and industrial cooperation, as well as specific opportunities for partnerships between Bulgarian and Japanese companies in the food industry and aviation, including the production of drones.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that Bulgaria has a number of competitive advantages for attracting Japanese investments – strategic geographical location, well-educated and qualified personnel and access to the European market. “Bulgaria is establishing itself as a kind of gateway for Japanese business to Europe“, he emphasized.
Pulev emphasized the three main areas in the management program that create opportunities for a more active economic partnership with Japan – attracting investments and industrialization, digitalization and implementation of artificial intelligence and high technologies, as well as modernization of the infrastructure.
“We are placing investments as a national priority – stimulating high-tech production and diversification of future investment flows. We want to expand our partnerships beyond Bulgaria's traditional markets“, he emphasized. Among the priority areas for cooperation, he pointed out energy, high technologies, artificial intelligence, transport connectivity and industrialization.
„We are open to learning from the experience of Japan as one of the international technology leaders. We want Japanese companies to participate with their expertise and know-how in the processes of economic transformation in Bulgaria“, said Pulev.
According to him, digitalization and the implementation of artificial intelligence will be key to the modernization of both the state administration and the economy. „Japan's experience and technological solutions can be an extremely valuable partner in this process“, said the Deputy Prime Minister.
As a third strategic direction, Pulev highlighted the modernization of infrastructure. „We are establishing a completely new legislative framework for public-private partnerships. Through it, we will mobilize private capital to modernize the infrastructure in the country – energy, transport connectivity and industrial zones. We want to be more ambitious and invite Japanese companies to participate in all processes related to this economic transformation“, he said.
During the talks, the Japanese representatives presented a specific interest in partnerships with Bulgarian companies in the food industry, aviation, drone production and logistics.
It became clear that Bulgarian machines are already the basis of technological solutions used by a Japanese company that offers know-how and farm solutions to the Indian market. This is a concrete example of the potential of Bulgarian production and the opportunities for building new value-added chains between Bulgaria and Japan.
It was highlighted that representatives of Japanese companies in the field of forwarding and logistics are launching a partnership with Bulgarian companies for joint development and development of drones that meet Japanese technical requirements and specifications.
Among the options discussed is for the manufactured drones to gain access to the Japanese aviation sector through the relevant permits. “We want to turn the good relations between Bulgaria and Japan into concrete economic projects, investments, production and joint technologies. Our goal is for the friendship between the two peoples to have an increasingly strong economic and industrial measure“, said Pulev.
The Japanese delegation also includes Kaloyan Mahlyanov – Kotooshu, who has made a significant contribution to the development of bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Japan. The meeting was also attended by the Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria to Japan Marieta Arabadzhieva and the Ambassador of Japan to Bulgaria, H.E. Chikahisa Sumi.