The Bulgarian Parliamentary delegation, headed by the President of the National Assembly Tsetska Tsacheva, was received on April 9, 2012 by the Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihiko Noda. During the talks the two parties agreed that a leading priority at the current stage of development of the bilateral dialogue is the elaboration of a short term plan for activation of the friendly and partner Bulgarian-Japanese relations in the areas of economy, trade and tourism, in transport and energy.

An enhanced interest to Bulgaria on behalf of the Japanese Business has been noted recently, stated the Prime Minister of Japan and went on to extend through the Bulgarian parliamentarians a message to the government of Bulgaria to continue pursuing a sustainable policy for guaranteeing a stable investment environment that would attract Japanese capital. He further stated that this was the premise on which entirely rested the last year’s visit to Tokyo of the official Bulgarian governmental delegation which he defined as exceptionally successful.  

In the course of the talks it was shared that the friendship groups in the two parliaments, among whose members stand renowned and active parliamentarians, could play the role of a guarantor and would support and encourage every initiative leading to fruitful and specific outcomes in the relations between the two countries. The Prime Minister of Japan expressed to the National Assembly President his gratitude for the fact that the program for the official visit of the Bulgarian parliamentarians includes a visit to Miyagi Prefecture, one of the regions in Japan most hardly hit by the catastrophic earthquake in March 2011. In this way you would not only demonstrate your empathy and solidarity, but would also have an opportunity to witness on the spot how  the level of confidence at which Japan is moving forward along the road of reconstruction, underscored the Prime Minister of Japan.
    
The President of the National Assembly Tsetska Tsacheva stated that a year after the natural disaster Japan is demonstrating an uncompromising spirit and an impressive will for accelerated overcoming of every challenge. She went on to express the empathy and solidarity of our country with the friendly people of Japan and to inform the Prime Minister of Japan that Bulgaria shall receive at the onset of the summer season Japanese children from the affected areas. As a part of their versatile program it is foreseen to have the children as special guests to the Bulgarian parliament. I strongly hope that the visit of pupils and teachers would help for the children’s recovery from the heavy psychological consequences of the disaster, would encourage the contacts between the youths of the two countries and contribute for the deepening of contacts between Bulgaria and Japan at local level, said Tsetska Tsacheva.

Later on the same day official plenary talks were held between the Bulgarian delegation and the President of the House of Councillors of the Japanese Parliament Mr. Kenji Hirata. During the talks, conducted in extremely amicable atmosphere, were discussed a wide range of questions pertaining to the bilateral relations. Reiterated was the mutual will for rendering parliamentary support to measures aimed at taking full advantage of the existing potential for development of the economic relations. The Bulgarian party sent over a message to the Japanese business about the competitive advantages of our country as a place attractive to foreign investors with the stable financial and economic environment, low corporate taxes, highly qualified labor force and access of investors to the European Union market. The President of the National Assembly extended an invitation to the president of the House of Councillors Kendji Hirata to pay a visit to Bulgaria as a head of a parliamentary delegation. Both parties were categorical that this kind of dialogue at the highest parliamentary level combined with the lasting commitment of the friendship group members would contribute to maintaining the tendency of upward development of the political dialogue between the two countries and would give further impetus for cooperation and partnership.   

On April 10, 2012 the Bulgarian parliamentarians held talks with the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Japanese Parliament Takaharo Yokomichi, with the members of the Parliamentary Group for Friendship with Bulgaria and the Japan-Bulgaria friendship association in Kasumigaseki.  

Tonight at the residence of the Bulgarian ambassador to Tokyo the President of the National Assembly will confer onto the Chairman of the Association for Bulgarian-Japanese Friendship Prof. Tatsuro Matsumae “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” order for his outstanding merits for the development of the Bulgarian-Japanese relations in the field of culture, education and science. The decree to that end was issued by President Rossen Plevneliev on March 28, 2012.  

The Bulgarian delegation is composed of M.P.s Ekaterina Mihailova, Vice-President of the National Assembly and Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group for Friendship with Japan; Krasimir Velchev, Chairman of the GERB Parliamentary Group and Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group for Friendship with Japan; Stanislav Ivanov, Member of Parliament of the Parliamentary Group of GERB Political Party and Chairman of the Parliamentary Group for Friendship with Japan; Boyko Velikov, M.P. from the Parliamentary Group of Coalition for Bulgaria and member of the Parliamentary Group for Friendship with Japan; Lyutfi Mestan, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group for Friendship with Japan; Desislav Chukolov, Deputy Chairman of the parliamentary Group of ATAKA.