Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet recently paid a courtesy call on at the Ministry’s headquarters in Sofia, marking her first official meeting with a member of the Bulgarian Government since she assumed her post.

During the meeting, Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet affirmed that the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Bulgaria have been developing well, with strong political trust and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially within the framework of the United Nations. She emphasized that Vietnam attaches great importance to strengthening ties with traditional friends, with Bulgaria being a priority partner.

The Ambassador proposed several specific directions for defence cooperation, including the establishment of a strategic or policy dialogue mechanism, and the promotion of regular academic and experience exchanges between military training institutions of the two countries.

Minister Atanas Zapryanov expressed his pleasure in receiving Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet and affirmed that Bulgaria always regards Vietnam as an important partner and a bridge for expanding its relations with ASEAN member states. He greatly valued the visit of President Rumen Radev to Vietnam in November 2024, calling it a key milestone that has added impetus to deepening bilateral ties.

On defence cooperation, Minister Zapryanov confirmed that the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence always maintains close coordination with its Vietnamese counterpart. He praised the annual exchange of military delegations as an effective channel for enhancing mutual understanding and trust, and expressed Bulgaria’s intention to increase the number of exchange visits with Vietnam to three per year, starting from 2026.

Minister Zapryanov also acknowledged and appreciated the role of Vietnam’s Defense Attaché Office in beefing up cooperation between the two defence ministries.

He noted that Bulgaria has not appointed a resident Defense Attaché to Vietnam and is currently considering doing so.

Both sides agreed that Vietnam and Bulgaria still hold considerable potential for cooperation in areas such as high-level and technical exchanges, military training, and defence industry co-operation.

At the end of the meeting, Minister Zapryanov instructed the Directorate of Defence Policy and Planning of Bulgaria to continue close coordination with the Vietnamese diplomatic mission in Bulgaria and relevant units of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence to effectively carry out the outcomes of the meeting.

People-to-people diplomacy deepens Vietnam-Bulgaria ties

VOV.VN - Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet and a delegation from the Vietnam–Bulgaria Friendship Association had a meeting with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev at the Presidential Palace in Sofia on June 4.

Bulgaria affirms Vietnam as trusted partner, urges broader cooperation

VOV.VN - Bulgarian President Rumen Radev underlined the potential for cooperation with Vietnam in various fields during his reception in Sofia on June 4 for Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet, who came to present her credentials.