President Luong Cuong hosts official welcome ceremony for Bulgarian counterpart
VGP - President Luong Cuong hosted an official welcome ceremony for visiting Bulgarian President Rumen Radev at the Presidential Palace in Ha Noi on November 25.
Vietnamese President Luong Cuong and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev inspect the Guard of Honor at the Presidential Palace in Ha Noi, November 25, 2024. Photo: VGP
Dignitaries present at the welcome ceremony include Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Chief of the Presidential Office Le Khanh Hai, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son, Deputy Minister of National Defense Vo Minh Luong, Deputy Minister of Public Security Le Van Tuyen, Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Do Hoang Long, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Do Thanh Trung, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan, Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Van Thanh, and Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Le Xuan Dinh.
This is the first official visit to Viet Nam by President Rumen Radev and the first official visit by a Bulgarian President in 11 years.
The visit is expected to help consolidate and strengthen the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries.
Vietnamese President Luong Cuong (right) and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev shake hands before their summit meeting at the Presidential Palace in Ha Noi, November 25, 2024. Photo: VGP
Viet Nam and Bulgaria established diplomatic relations on February 8, 1950. Seven years later, President Ho Chi Minh visited Bulgaria, laying foundation for the bilateral ties.
Bulgaria had provided valuable support and assistance for Viet Nam's struggle for national liberation and independence. Building on such a fine tradition, both countries have made tireless efforts to cultivate and strengthen the relationship through regular exchange of high-level visits, implementation of cooperation agreements and mutual support at international fora.
Bulgaria is one of the first EU members to ratify the EU-Viet Nam Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), which indicates the fact that Bulgaria attaches importance to the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with Viet Nam. These agreements consolidate legal framework for the two countries to advance trade and investment partnership.
The two-way trade reached US$211.5 million in 2023 and US$229.2 million in the first ten months this year.
On investment, Bulgaria has 14 active projects in the Southeast Asian nation with total registered capital of US$31.32 million./.
