Bulgaria is a top priority partner for Vietnam in Central and Eastern Europe

Chinh warmly welcomed Radev’s visit which he said would play a significant role in deepening and enhancing the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Bulgaria, making it more effective and impactful.

The Prime Minister thanked Bulgaria for the valuable support and assistance that it has provided to Vietnam during the latter’s struggle for national independence and reunification in the past, as well as in the current process of national construction and development.

He proposed that the two countries strengthen political trust by continuing to promote delegation exchanges, thereby boosting cooperation in various fields. He asked the two countries to enhance cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, education, labour, and people-to-people exchanges.

Radev for his part affirmed that Bulgaria always places great importance on developing relations with Vietnam, considering it a key partner in Southeast Asia.

He agreed with Chinh’s proposals and said Vietnam is one of Bulgaria’s most promising markets in Southeast Asia. He expected that the two countries’ business communities would have the chance to explore cooperation opportunities during the joint Vietnam – Bulgaria business forum in Ho Chi Minh City on November 27.

According to the president, nearly 30 leading Bulgarian enterprises are set to attend the forum, including those operating in various fields, including information and communication technology, semiconductors, electronics, optics, machinery and specialized equipment manufacturing, automobile production, medical equipment, electrical devices, shipbuilding, defense, and aerospace industries.

Radev also affirmed that he would advocate for the remaining EU countries to promptly ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and support the European Commission (EC) in lifting the ‘yellow card’ on Vietnam’s seafood exports to the EU market.

Both sides agreed to effectively implement the cooperation framework, including the agreements already signed between the two countries, and to strengthen cooperation in traditional fields such as defense and security, trade and investment, science and technology, education and training, medicine and health care, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. They vowed to expand cooperation into complementary potential areas such as digital transformation, digital database construction and connectivity, artificial intelligence, electronics, labour, agriculture, and food security. They also agreed to support each other as gateways for goods to enter the ASEAN and EU markets.

Chinh thanked the Bulgarian authorities for creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Bulgaria to live, work, and integrate locally. He noted that many major cities in Vietnam, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, and Hue, have entered into friendship associations with Bulgaria.

Radev appreciated the positive contributions of the Vietnamese community to Bulgaria’s socio-economic development and their role as a bridge for the traditional friendship between the two countries. He also recognized the contributions of the 30,000 Vietnamese alumni and trainees who studied and worked in Bulgaria, while thanking Vietnam for facilitating Bulgarian citizens living and working in their host country.