Party chief, Prime Minister meet Bulgarian President

At the meeting with the Bulgarian President, Party chief To reiterated that Viet Nam always attaches importance to strengthening its relations with traditional friends, including Bulgaria.

He hailed Bulgaria's role as a gateway for fostering ties with the European Union (EU), adding that Viet Nam stands ready to act as a bridge between Bulgaria and Southeast Asian countries.

He outlined major directions and measures to elevate the traditional friendship between the two countries to a new height, including promoting comprehensive cooperation, particularly in areas such as agriculture, industry, electronic engineering, information technology, artificial intelligence, and space research.

For his part, Radev asserted Bulgaria's appreciation for the long-standing traditional friendship with Viet Nam, considering Viet Nam a top partner in Southeast Asia.

Radev took the occasion to invite the Vietnamese Party leader to make an official visit to Bulgaria in 2025, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Viet Nam-Bulgaria diplomatic relations. To accepted the invitation with pleasure.

Six key areas of Viet Nam-Bulgaria cooperation

During their meeting, Prime Minister Pham and Bulgarian President Radev agreed on six key areas of cooperation that the two countries need to strengthen in the coming time.

Firstly, it is necessary to enhance political trust through increasing delegation exchange, thereby promoting cooperation across various fields.

Bulgaria continues supporting the stance of ASEAN and Viet Nam on the East Sea, based on respect for international law, particularly the 1982 United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the settlement of disputes by peaceful measures, contributing to maintaining peace, stability, security, and freedom of navigation in the region.

Secondly, Viet Nam and Bulgaria will step up trade and investment cooperation with the aim of raising bilateral trade to US$500 million in the coming time.

Thirdly and fourthly, both nations will boost education and labor cooperation.

Fifthly, both sides will enhance coordination and mutual support at regional and international forums, such as the United Nations, ASEM, and the ASEAN-EU framework.

Sixthly, the sides will promote people-to-people exchanges and work together to hold activities marking the 75th founding anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2025.

According to Radev, Viet Nam is one of Bulgaria's most promising markets in Southeast Asia, adding that nearly 30 leading Bulgarian companies are accompanying him in this visit to attend a Viet Nam-Bulgaria business forum in Ho Chi Minh City on November 27.

Radev said he will push for swift ratification of the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) by the remaining EU members and for the removal of the "yellow card" warning against Viet Nam's seafood exports by the European Commission (EC).

The two sides also agreed to support each other in serving as gateways for their goods to enter the ASEAN and EU markets./.