Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva conducted a series of meetings within the frameworks of her visit to Japan, at which the sides expressed readiness to exchange experts in different spheres, assist the Western Balkans with specific projects, and strengthen their cooperation in education, culture and sport.

At the meeting with Shinichi Kitaoka , President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Minister Zaharieva expressed Bulgaria’s gratitude for Japan’s financial support, amounting to around 700 million euro, for various projects during the transition in Bulgaria.

“You are a successful model for many countries – over a comparatively short space of time, from a recipient of aid, you turned into a donor,” said Shinichi Kitaoka.

At a meeting between Ekaterina Zakarieva and the governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike it was stated that there are 45 schools in Tokyo, where “things connected with Bulgaria” are studied. “We want to strengthen this cooperation,” Yuriko Koike said.

Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva joined the initiative for making Olympic medals out of metals extracted from old mobile phones.