Marieta Arabadjieva Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria to Japan Bulgaria is s situated in South East Europe, sharing borders with Romania, Serbia, Republic of North Macedonia, Greece and Turkey. It also has 378 km of coastline on the Black Sea. For thousands of years our lands have served as a gateway connecting Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Today Bulgaria’s strategic location is a major boost for investments. Five Pan-European corridors cross the country. Bulgaria is part of the European Union (EU) single market and is working to join OECD, the Eurozone and the Schengen area. The lands of our country are home to the oldest processed gold in the world dating back 6000 years. Bulgaria is also the birthplace of the Cyrillic alphabet which now serves as the official script for nearly 50 languages in the world. After Bulgaria’s accession to the EU in 2007 the Cyrillic alphabet became the EU’s third official alphabet along with the Latin and Greek alphabets. Япония, Токио, Посолство на Република България It means "Japan, Tokyo, Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria" in the Cyrillic alphabet (Bulgarian). With its unique culture and magnificent nature, Bulgaria is a fantastic tourism destination. One third of the country's territory is covered by mountains.  Attractive ski resorts are only 1-2 hours’ drive from Sofia, the closest ski slopes being 40 minutes by car from the capital. In summer one can enjoy the Black Sea coast by choosing to stay at either modern resorts or at ancient cities established in the 5th century BC during the times of the Roman empire. Each year Bulgaria welcomes 12 million tourists which is double the size of its population. Agribusiness is another promising sector for potential Japanese investments to Bulgaria. Beautiful plains and valleys will fascinate you with views of vast wheat and sunflower fields, rose and lavender plantations and modern vineyards. Bulgaria produces the highest quality rose oil worldwide. Bulgaria’s Thracian valley is one of the world's oldest winemaking regions boasting 6000-years of winemaking history. The indigenous Bulgarian grape varieties attract wine lovers with their unique character. In recent years there has been an increase in import of Bulgarian wines to Japan and a number of Bulgarian wines have won some of the highest prizes at Japanese wine contests. High quality, safe and sustainable Bulgarian products such as honey, jams, foie gras, confectionery, as well as essential oils and cosmetics have successfully found place on the Japanese market. Over the past three decades Bulgaria underwent a significant social and economic transformation. Today my country ranks 3rd in the world in IT specialists per capita. Bulgaria is among the biggest automotive parts producers in Europe - 80% of the sensors in all European cars are made in Bulgaria. Bulgaria has the lowest corporate income tax rate of 10% and provides one of the most competitive labor costs in the EU.駐日ブルガリア大使マリエタ・アラバジエヴァ2021年３月、駐日プルガリア大使として着任し、2021年４月14日信任状を天皇陛下に捧呈。 2001年から2020年にかけて、駐日プルガリア共和国大使館に３回赴任(2001～2004年、2006～2008年、2016～2020年）。2011年から2013年にかけて、在中国プルガリア共和国大使館にて次席・政務部長として勤務。プルガリアのソフィア大学日本学の学士号及び修士号、そしてサウスウェスト大学の国際関係学部の学士号を取得。また、大阪外国語大学、中国上海にある復旦大学、オックスフォード大学にて研修。 A number of Japanese companies have recognized the benefits and potential of Bulgaria's strategic geographic location and skilled workforce, and have set up successful businesses there. In recent years Bulgaria has attracted high profile Japanese investments from companies like Mitsubishi  Heavy  Industries,  Yazaki  Corporation, Sumitomo  Electric,  SEGA  Corporation,  Pentax  Life Care, Zen-Noh Foods. Bulgaria and Japan are working closely to shape the new e-mobility world - in December 2022 Nidec Elesys Corporation opened its first European R&D Center in Sofia. NTT Data also set up an office in Bulgaria for IT services and solutions. A growing number of Japanese companies are considering R&D investments in Bulgaria due to its excellent traditions in IT and STEM education and its experienced specialists in computer science, software engineering and electronics. Bulgaria has the biggest number per capita of Japanese language students in Europe which constitutes a major asset for potential Japanese investors. I am also happy to note the growing interest among Japanese students in Bulgarian language and culture which are currently taught at five Japanese universities. For more than 100 years Bulgaria and Japan have developed friendly relations and cooperation based on mutual respect and genuine interest towards each other's culture and traditions. Today both countries are like- minded partners which enjoy a dynamic and multilayered collaboration that keeps expanding into new areas. Japan is a priority partner for Bulgaria in the Indo Pacific region. We hope to welcome more strategic Japanese investments in IT&BPO, green innovations, fintech, electronics, agribusiness, etc. to develop technologies and sustainable solutions that meet the needs and high standards of customers globally. I can assure you that the Bulgarian Embassy in Tokyo will continue to be your "madoguchi" for doing business in and with Bulgaria.   IOI事業企画部E-mail: bd@joi.or.jp在日ブルガリア共和国大E-mail: Embassy.Tokyo@mfa.bg https://www.mfa.bg/ja/embassies/japa https://twitter.com/BulgariaInJapan