Japan

Japan imposed on Tuesday a set of sanctions against Russia after Moscow recognized Crimea as a sovereign state.

Agriculture Minister Dimitar Grekov has promoted the export potential of the local agriculture sector to Japan's Ambassador to Bulgaria Takashi Koizumi.

At a Monday meeting with Koizumi, Grekov claimed that agriculture was the most stable sector of the Bulgarian economy, stressing that Bulgarian products were popular on the Japanese market.

BELGRADE - Young Serbian opera singer Tijana Djuricic will take part in the music and stage performance entitled Music Soul of Europa, which will be held at Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa on Friday and include musicians from Italy, Poland and Russia.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said it suspends accession talks with Russia, because of the country's involvement in the tensions in Crimea. 

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivan Mrkic and Japanese Ambassador to Serbia Masafumi Kuroki inked and exchanged documents on Wednesday on the Japanese government's grant in the form of green vehicles amounting to EUR 3.57 million.

Mrkic told reporters that the grant includes 300 green vehicles for the needs of the public sector.

BELGRADE - The Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID) is the only domestic organization that requested and got accreditation from the national electoral commission (RIK) for monitoring early parliamentary elections, while foreign observers showed greater interest in that.

BELGRADE - Japanese Ambassador to Serbia Masafumi Kuroki and Director of the Belgrade Culture and Sports Center Sumice Ranko Matijasevic inked on Friday an agreement on a EUR 41,280 donation for the roof reconstruction and parquet repair in this institution.

BELGRADE - Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic and Japanese Ambassador to Serbia Masafumi Kuroki signed and exchanged notes on a EUR 1.43 million worth non-refundable donation from the Japanese government to Serbia, expressing the hope that the donation will further improve the friendly relations between the two countries.

BELGRADE - The Embassy of Japan donated books, handbooks and other publications, mostly related to Japanese architecture, but to other fields of study as well, to the Belgrade Faculty of Architecture on Thursday.

BELGRADE - Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic will deliver medals to deserving individuals and institutions on Saturday, to mark the Statehood Day, including professor Itsuko Teruoka from Japan who will receive a gold medal for her exceptional engagement in humanitarian activities and Stella Jatras of the U.S.