It is time for diplomacy to be fully activated to end the war in Ukraine, the head of state stressed in response to questions from students at Waseda University in Tokyo

Bulgaria and Japan are connected by their respect for national culture and traditions and by the aspiration of the two peoples to build their prosperity through education and honest work. This was stated by President Rumen Radev to students at one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Japan, Waseda, in Tokyo, where he delivered a lecture dedicated to bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Japan. The event was attended by Princess Takamado, a member of the imperial family, and hosted by the rector of the university, Prof Eiji Tanaka. The head of state is on an official visit to Japan, and the program of the visit to Tokyo includes meetings at the highest level.

Thousands of kilometres stand between Bulgaria and Japan, but there is a strong spiritual connection between our peoples, they share a similar historical destiny, wisdom accumulated over the centuries and common values, said Rumen Radev. The head of state pointed to the traditionally friendly relations between Bulgaria and Japan and the significant potential for deepening bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, science, high technologies, innovations, robotics and artificial intelligence. In 2024, three anniversaries were celebrated - 115 years since the first official contacts, 85 years since the establishment and 65 years since the restoration of diplomatic relations. During the visit of the head of state, he is to sign with the Prime Minister of Japan Shigeru Ishiba Declaration on elevating relations between the two countries to a strategic partnership.
 
It is time for diplomacy to be fully activated to end Russian Federation's war against Ukraine, the president stressed in response to questions from students at Waseda University, expressing his position that the war in Ukraine has no military solution. Rumen Radev added that the conflict is having a devastating effect on the economy and life in Ukraine, calling for decisive action to achieve sustainable peace.

The head of state pointed out that peace negotiations will take a lot of time and effort and it will be a challenge to reach a solution based on international law and UN principles. Therefore, a balanced solution to the conflict is needed with compromises from both sides. The potential sending of peacekeeping forces to Ukraine raises a problem from the point of view of their status, according to UN principles, due to the lack of agreement from both sides, and carries a risk of escalation and global conflict, the president said in response to a question. This war is a pledge for a new world order, which democratic countries must make efforts to be based not on force, but on the rule of law, Rumen Radev also emphasised.

At Waseda University, the head of state, Princess Takamado and Prof Tanaka viewed together the exhibition "Bulgaria-Japan - Politics, Diplomacy, Personalities and Events", which presents the history of Bulgarian-Japanese relations from the late 19th century to the present day. The exhibition contains a significant amount of archival photographs and documents from the first contacts between the two countries. 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, with which Waseda University cooperates.