Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev’s official visit to Vietnam from November 23-25 at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung is the first by a leader of the Bulgarian Government since former Bulgarian PM Jan Videnov’s visit to Vietnam ten years ago (1996).

Vietnam and Bulgaria established diplomatic ties on February 8, 1950. From 1950-1989, bilateral relations steadily developed as Bulgaria provided Vietnam with valuable spiritual and material support and assistance in the struggle for national liberalisation and defence.

From 1990, there was a short period of time where little progress was made in bilateral relations due to changes in Bulgarian institutions. However, since 1993, bilateral relations have been gradually restored through a series of regular exchange visits by the two countries’ high-level delegations.

Bulgaria highly appreciates Vietnam’s role in the region and wants to consolidate and develop multi-faceted cooperation with Vietnam.

Since 1996, Bulgaria’s PM,  National Assembly speaker and Defense Minister visited Vietnam twice.

Former Vietnamese PM Phan Van Khai’s visit to Bulgaria in September, 2000, marked an important milestone in bilateral relations. The Sofia mayor accompanied by a business delegation resumed cooperation with Hanoi during their visit in March 2002. The Bulgarian Minister of Education and Science and the Minister of Health also visited Vietnam in order to  resume cooperation in the respective fields between the two countries.

The two sides signed a number of agreements, creating a new legal foundation to promote bilateral cooperation in healthcare, medicine,  trade, culture, science and education, post and telecommunications, maritime transport, plant quarantine and protection, and investment encouragement and protection. Besides, they also signed a protocol on cooperation between the two Foreign Ministries and an agreement on double-taxation avoidance for incomes and veterinary hygiene.

In terms of economics and trade, the two countries signed a new agreement granting each other the most favoured nation status in March 2001. The have been following an upward trend for economic and trade cooperation which is still far from matching their potential and expectations.

Two-way trade turnover in 2005 reached US$22 million in which Vietnam’s exports to Bulgaria increased to US$17.5 million, up more than 30 percent from 2004. Two-way trade value is expected to hit US$ 25 million this year.

On education and training, during the Bulgarian Education Minister’s visit to Vietnam in February, 2001, both countries renewed an agreement to resume education cooperation programmes in the 2001-2003 period under which both sides annually provided scholarships for 3 students, two doctors and one post graduate. Since 2001, there have been 15 Vietnamese students and two post graduates receiving State scholarships and 10 students learning by paying their school fees in Bulgaria.

In terms of multi-lateral cooperation, the two sides have well cooperated and supported each other at international forums.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev’s visit to Vietnam this time aims to further strengthen time-honoured friendship and cooperation between the two countries with a focus on promoting investment, economic and trade ties. The visit is also an opportunity for two sides to discuss regional and international issues of common concern and devise specific measures to expand bilateral relations and accelerate the implementation of the approved initiatives and agreements on cooperation in economics, trade, energy, agro-forestry, education and training, national defense and sports.

Vietnam welcomes the Bulgarian Prime Minister’s visit to Vietnam and affirms that it always attaches great importance to developing friendship and all-round cooperation with traditional countries including Bulgaria.