Bulgaria Vows Support for EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement

Bulgarian PM Borisov (left) in Tokyo with Japanese PM Naoto Kan. Photo by Council of Ministers press service

Bulgaria is a good investment destination for Japanese companies, Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan told his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borisov in Tokyo.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov is in Japan on a four-day visit (January 22-26, 2011) as the head of a large Bulgarian government and business delegation.

On Monday, Borisov was formally received by Japanese PM Naoto Kan, and the two gave a joint news conference.

"Bulgaria is an economic and politically stable country, and a good destination for the Japanese business taking into account the favorable tax rates of which I was informed by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov," Kan declared in Tokyo as cited by the press service of the Bulgarian government.

"As the government of Japan, we must support the strengthening of the economic ties between our countries. During the current visit, Prime Minister Borisov has several meetings with the Japanese business and private sector. At present, we have several projects in Bulgaria in the field of photovoltaic and solar energy. I hope that these projects will be successful precedents serving to stimulate Japanese investors to invest more in Bulgaria," Japan's PM said.

He did not omit to mention the karate skills of his Bulgarian counterpart. The Bulgarian Prime Minister has 7th dan black belt in karate and is the chairman of the Bulgarian Karate Federation. Borisov has also been a coach for the Bulgarian national karate team for many years as well as an international karate referee.

"Even though this is Prime Minister Borisov's first visit to Japan, I am under the impression that he has a good understanding of Japan through the martial arts," Kan stated.

He explicitly pointed out that Bulgaria's accession to the EU in 2007 has provided a new impetus to the Bulgarian-Japanese relations in the context of a partnership based on common values.

Kan also emphasized Japan's desire to sign a free-trade agreement with the European Union, and asked Bulgaria for support on that issue.

Speaking with Arianespace Chairman Jean-Yves Le Gall and Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) Chairman Hiromasa Yonekura last week, Japan’s PM Kan said he expected that his country and the EU will start negotiations for a free-trade agreement in 2011.

Kan said 2011 will be "a starting year to further open up" Japan to the rest of the world and pledged to address the country's nontariff barriers, a key EU concern, at the political level to lay the groundwork for launching the FTA talks, administration officials said as cited by The Japan Times.

The Japan Times points out Japan has been eager to start FTA talks with the EU because an FTA between South Korea and the 27-nation regional bloc will enter into force in July 2011.

Borisov promised backing for an EU-Japan free trade agreement to the extent that the Bulgarian government is capable of influencing the process.

"We appreciate Japan's efforts for the signing of a free trade agreement with the EU, and we are convinced that we can be of help for Japan in its future relations with the Union. Japan is a partner country and Bulgaria wants to elevate our economic relations to the level of the bilateral political ties," the Bulgarian PM said.

"As concerns Japan's economic partnership with the EU, the negotiations are of course handled by the European Commission. We are going to try to help to the best of our modest capabilities," he promised.

Borisov told Kan that he believes Bulgaria's natural resources can be combined with Japan's technological capacities to focus on agriculture, food production, and drinking water. In his words, Bulgaria has the ambition to boost its exports to Japan, including with respect to poultry, essential oils, organic food. He pointed out Bulgaria's traditions in the production of rose oil, yogurt, wine.

Bulgaria is interested in cooperation with Japan in greenhouse gas emissions trade, and investments in renewable energy, nuclear energy, and industrial technologies.

All this puts us in a position to expect you eagerly in the future so that we can progress together," Borisov told the Japanese government and business.

He expressed his regret that no acting Japanese Prime Minister has visited Bulgaria to date, and invited Naoto Kan to become the first head of Japan's government to do so.

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