I have the honor to inform you that I am leaving Bulgaria in the beginning of May upon conclusion of my tenure as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Bulgaria.
Not only did I have the privilege to spend 2 years and 8 months in this beautiful country, moreover, this was also a period of great importance to our bilateral relations. In the beginning of 2018, Japan’s Prime Minister Abe Shinzo visited Bulgaria. This high-level event was followed by Deputy Prime Minister Donchev’s and National Assembly Chairperson Karayancheva’s visits to Japan. In 2019, the foreign ministers of Bulgaria and Japan exchanged official visits as well. The year 2019 was also a special year, as we celebrated three significant anniversaries in Japan-Bulgaria relations, which were marked by numerous events in both countries.
I would like to hereby express my sincere appreciation for the constant cooperation, friendship and goodwill that contributed to the relations between the two countries. I am convinced that this friendship will continue to grow and to produce concrete results through the implementation of different bilateral initiatives in various fields and sectors.
Please accept my deepest apologies for not being able to bid farewell to you in person, due to the current epidemic situation and taking into account the preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19. I truly hope that through mutual assistance and with the cooperation of all peoples and nations, we will soon overcome the serious difficulties caused by the pandemic crisis.
I would like to wish you and your family good health, personal happiness and professional success.
I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to you the assurance of my highest consideration.
Sincerely,
Watanabe Masato
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Bulgaria
