Bulgaria and Japan are partners in the community of democratic states, sharing common values and principles, active political dialogue and successful joint activities on the international stage. This was stated by President Rumen Radev at a ceremony in the Hall of Arms, where he honoured the Ambassador of Japan to Bulgaria, H.E. Hisashi Michigami, with the Order of the Madara Horseman, First Class. The state award is for the diplomat's merits in the development of bilateral relations.

President Radev pointed out that in our country, Japan enjoys exceptional popularity and respect as a country with high achievements in the economy, science and technology, with a rich culture, history and tradition, and bilateral relations were further strengthened during Bulgaria's transition to democracy and a market economy, when Japan provided important economic and technical assistance.

In his greeting, the Head of State noted that during his tenure, Ambassador Michigami has actively worked to maintain and deepen political contacts, to promote trade and economic ties and to develop scientific, educational, and cultural exchange between Bulgaria and Japan. Thanking the diplomat for his commitment, Radev noted his contribution to the implementation of a number of landmark visits, including in connection with Bulgaria's participation in the World Expo in Osaka, as well as the expansion of the contractual and legal framework.

In May 2025, during my official visit to Japan with then Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, we signed the joint declaration on strategic partnership between Bulgaria and Japan, which is an extremely important step in the history of bilateral relations and a logical outcome of the sincere friendship, trust and respect between our peoples, the President said. The Head of State added that the document opens the horizon to a number of new opportunities for deepening cooperation.

Ambassador Michigami's support for the implementation of a number of business forums and visits of Japanese business missions in our country, which promotes economic exchange, contacts between business circles and cooperation in strategic areas of mutual interest such as energy, high technologies, and R&D, was also praised. During his tenure, the Ambassador also contributed to the development of active exchange in the fields of culture, education and science, as well as to the continuation of good traditions in Japanese language teaching and the presentation of Japanese culture in our country.

The Head of State highly appreciated the endeavour to promote bilateral cooperation in the field of Official Development Assistance, as well as the commitment to the Western Balkans by providing support in the field of disaster risk management.

Ambassador Hisashi Michigami thanked for the honour and expressed hope for further development of bilateral relations. He also highlighted the signing of the joint declaration on the establishment of a strategic partnership between Japan and Bulgaria as an important step. Ambassador Michigami indicated that the upgrading of cooperation in the field of business between the two countries is promising and noted the efforts of President Radev in this direction. The diplomat also expressed hope for deepening exchanges in the field of education.