Between the 31st January and 1st of February, President Akihiko Tanaka visited Bulgaria and Romania. He gave lectures on the Japanese diplomacy, including the bilateral relations between Japan and each country, and lecture entitled “JAPAN’s ODA: History, Characteristics, and Future.”

Many participants from various industry and the media gathered on the days, and  “The lecture was fascinating. I appreciated his skill to present such a large picture encompassing Japan’s experience from 1950s until now, the details, the examples he gave,”commented one of the participants.

Lecture in The University of Sofia(Left), and Lecture in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bulgaria (Right)

Lecture in the headquarters of The Romanian Diplomatic Institute (IDR)(both pictures)

During his stay, President Tanaka also attended a reunion with 8 alumni in Bulgaria, and a reunion with 3 alumni in Romania. It was an opportunity for the alumni to discuss their current careers and their memories of GRIPS.

Alumni reunion in Bulgaria (Left), Alumni reunion in Romania (Right)