site.bta2023 Marks 50th Anniversary of Introduction of Bulgarian Yogurt to Japanese Market

Next year marks half a century since Bulgarian yogurt entered the Japanese market. Minister of Economy and Industry Nikola Stoyanov and Ambassador of Japan to Bulgaria Hiroshi Narahira held a meeting on Friday to discuss a programme of initiatives to popularize the anniversary, the Ministry of Economy and Industry said. The conversation was at the request of the diplomat.

The establishment of a Japanese-Bulgarian research and development centre in Bulgaria which will develop new healthy dairy products for the Japanese market was also discussed at the meeting. Narahira noted the extremely fruitful cooperation between Lb Bulgaricum and the Japanese company Meiji which during these 50 years made Bulgarian yogurt popular and beloved on the Japanese market.

"For me, it is a source of pride, but I also find irony in the fact that Lb Bulgaricum is better known in Japan than in Bulgaria," commented Minister Stoyanov and added that a programme is currently being prepared to make the state an enterprise much more popular to Bulgarian consumers as well.

The meeting focused on investment opportunities in this country, in individual sectors of the Bulgarian economy and on the applied incentives for foreign investors. Stoyanov emphasized that one of the main priorities of the Ministry of Economy and Industry is attracting new investments with high added value.

Stoyanov also presented the initiative for regular meetings with representatives of foreign businesses in Bulgaria in the format of a working breakfast with the competent ministers and proposed that a similar discussion to be organized with Japanese companies in this country. Ambassador Narahira welcomed the initiative and committed that, with the assistance of the Embassy of Japan in Sofia and Japanese-Bulgarian businesses, efforts will be made to organize a similar meeting.

The Bulgarian institutions are already actively working on the country's participation in the World Expo 2025 which will be held in the Japanese city of Osaka. Stoyanov commented to the Japanese Ambassador that an interdepartmental working group has been established to organize this country's participation in the World Expo.