The Head of State Rumen Radev arrived in Osaka, from where his official visit to Japan begins. It will take place from May 18 to 21.
At the invitation of the Japanese side, the Head of State will visit the EXPO 2025 World Exhibition in Osaka on Bulgaria Day and will have meetings at the highest level in Tokyo, as well as with representatives of Japanese business. The delegation, led by the President, includes representatives of Bulgarian companies and organizations with activities in the field of industry, high technologies, science, innovations and the automotive sector. The President is accompanied by his wife Desislava Radeva.
In Osaka, the head of state will participate in the official ceremony on the occasion of Bulgaria Day within the framework of the EXPO 2025 world exhibition. In it, 165 countries and regions and nine international organizations present their cultures, ideas and innovations in about 180 pavilions set aside for the purpose. The central theme of this edition of the international event is “Designing the future society for our lives”, and it is planned to organize interactive exhibitions, demonstrations of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics, presentation of sustainable and innovative solutions in the fields of architecture, energy and healthcare, exhibitions for smart cities and others. The forum was opened in April and will last until October this year, and is expected to be visited by nearly 30 million people. people.
The President will visit the Bulgarian Pavilion at EXPO 2025, where our country is presented through its rich cultural and historical heritage, innovations and vision for the future. The pavilion, whose motto is “Evolution with Nature”, reveals the scientific, economic and tourist potential of Bulgaria. On Bulgaria Day, the April issue of BTA's magazine for literature, art and culture LIK, dedicated to Bulgaria and world exhibitions, which was published in Bulgarian, English and Japanese, will be presented at the Bulgarian Pavilion at EXPO 2025. The presentation will be in front of students studying Bulgarian at Japanese universities, led by BTA Director General Kiril Valchev, for which he is also part of the delegation. A simultaneous online connection with the multimedia center in the “MaxiM” hall is planned. at the agency's headquarters in Sofia and 40 national BTA press clubs in Bulgaria and abroad.
In Tokyo, President Rumen Radev will have an audience with His Majesty Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace in the Japanese capital. The Bulgarian head of state visited Japan in 2019 for the emperor's enthronement ceremony.
In the capital of Japan, President Rumen Radev will meet with the country's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, with whom he will sign a Declaration on Elevating Bilateral Relations between Bulgaria and Japan to the Level of Strategic Partnership. At the Prime Minister's residence, the Bulgarian President will be welcomed with a solemn ceremony with military honors, after which a meeting between the two delegations and a joint press conference will take place, the presidential institution also informed.
The President's program for the visit to Japan includes participation in an economic seminar organized by the Bulgarian Embassy in the country and the Japan External Trade Organization JETRO, meetings with the management of JETRO, the Japanese technology company “Toshiba“, the Japanese Business Federation “Keidanren“ and the bank “Sumitomo Mitsui“. As part of his visit, the Head of State will also visit the Japanese air base “Hyakuri“ and the research center of the largest scientific organization in Japan RIKEN.
As part of his visit, the head of state will deliver a lecture dedicated to bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Japan at the University of “Waseda“.
Founded in 1882, the university is one of the oldest and most prestigious in Japan and has a cooperation agreement with the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski“. About 50 thousand students study at “Waseda“, and seven Japanese prime ministers have graduated from it. President Rumen Radev will meet with the rector of the university, Prof. Eiji Tanaka, and together with Princess Takamado, a member of the imperial family, will view the exhibition “Bulgaria – Japan: politics, diplomacy, personalities and events“, which presents the history of Bulgarian-Japanese relations from the end of the 19th century to the present day. The authors are Vera Stefanova, a Japanese scholar and long-time diplomat, and Assoc. Prof. Evgeniy Kandilarov, a lecturer at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski“.