Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva met in Tokyo today with her Japanese counterpart Tarō Kōno, the Foreign Ministry press office said. They discussed how to strengthen the bilateral political dialogue and the opportunities for increasing Bulgarian exports, attracting Japanese investments, technologies and tourists.

Minister Tarō Kōno has accepted an invitation to visit our country. This year Bulgaria celebrate 110 years of the first official bilateral contacts with Japan, 80 years since the establishment and 60 years of the restoration of diplomatic relations. The three anniversaries are celebrated with events in both countries under a joint logo.

"I congratulate you for the great organization of the Fifth World Women's Meeting and I hope to apply new ideas that were born during the discussions on how to promote women's empowerment and gender equality," said Deputy Prime Minister Zaharieva.

"The MFA of Japan has something to draw from the experience of the Bulgarian MFA on gender equality in the diplomatic service," said Minister Tarō Kōno after realizing that half of the Bulgarian diplomats are ladies.

Ministers Zaharieva and Kono discussed a wide range of issues, including the current challenges for energy and renewable energy, the environment, global economic processes, and the fight against fake news. The first Bulgarian diplomat wished Japan to succeed for the G20.

This is not the first meeting between the two first diplomats. In September 2018, Zaharieva held a meeting with Tarō Kōno in Montreal during the meeting of women foreign ministers with her G7 counterparts and then at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Minister Tarō Kōno is a deputy from the Lower House of the Japanese Parliament, a seventh consecutive mandate from the Liberal Democratic Party. Prior to assuming the Foreign Ministry was Deputy Minister of Justice, Minister of State for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, Minister of Administrative Reform.