The event brought together representatives of the Burgas municipal government, industry associations and nearly 50 enterprises operating in the city. It is one of the practical activities to implement the agreements reached during Party General Secretary To Lam’s official visit to Bulgaria in October 2025, during which the two sides agreed to expand cooperation at the local level and further enhance economic, trade and investment ties.

In her opening remarks, Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet affirmed that Vietnam and Bulgaria possess complementary advantages, as Bulgaria can serve as a gateway for Vietnamese enterprises to access the markets of Southeast Europe and the European Union (EU), and Vietnam is an important transit hub for Bulgarian companies seeking to expand their presence in the dynamic ASEAN region.

She expressed hope that the seminar would provide Bulgarian authorities and businesses with useful information about Vietnam’s investment and business environment, helping to lay the foundation for substantive, effective and comprehensive cooperation projects that could help raise bilateral trade and investment in the coming years.

Burgas Deputy Mayor Stanimir Apostolov highly valued Vietnam’s economic achievements in recent years and called on Vietnamese enterprises to invest in priority sectors of the city, such as innovation, smart-city development, industrial zones and infrastructure. The municipal government pledged to create the most favourable conditions for Vietnamese companies to invest and do business in Burgas.

Representing the local business community, Todor Demirkov, president of the Burgas Chamber of Commerce and Industry, highlighted the strengths of Burgas enterprises and noted increasing interest in Vietnam’s fast-growing and dynamic market. He affirmed that the Chamber would undertake concrete and practical activities to establish more regular connections with Vietnamese associations and enterprises, thereby supporting businesses with market information, customer links and cooperation opportunities.

Presenting the city’s economic potential, Ivelina Strateva, director of the Burgas Department of Economy, underlined the city’s advantages, including the largest port system in the Balkan region, strong logistics and transport connectivity, developed industrial and logistics zones, and competitiveness in information technology and agriculture. Given these strengths, Burgas stands ready to serve as an important gateway for Vietnamese companies entering the Southeast European market.

At the seminar, Nguyen Thanh Hai, head of the Trade Office at the Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria, provided an overview of Vietnam’s recent economic achievements, analysed potential products and sectors for trade and investment cooperation, and highlighted the advantages brought by the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). He noted that Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen Area on January 1, 2025 and its preparations for joining the Eurozone would create additional favourable conditions for businesses from both countries.

Representatives of local authorities and enterprises exchanged views on drivers and challenges in Vietnam–Bulgaria cooperation. They identified priority pillars for the new phase of the Strategic Partnership, including logistics, renewable energy, smart infrastructure and the digital economy. Both sides also underscored the importance of science-and-technology cooperation, innovation and digital transformation, with a focus on building an innovation ecosystem, promoting joint research and transferring technology from Bulgaria to Vietnam.

Vietnam and Bulgaria have more room to bolster cooperation

VOV.VN - Vietnam and Bulgaria have significant potential for cooperation in other areas beyond traditional ones, such as digital transformation, digital economy, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and e-government.