Vietnam and Bulgaria consider trade and investment as a key pillar of bilateral relations and are committed to creating favorable conditions for businesses from both sides to effectively implement the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

State President Luong Cuong and his Bulgarian counterpart Rumen Radev. Source: VNA

The view was shared during a meeting today [November 25] between State President Luong Cuong and his Bulgarian counterpart Rumen Radev, who is currently on a state visit to Vietnam from November 24-28.

Vietnam’s State President said that Vietnam always values and seeks to strengthen its partnership with Bulgaria, a priority partner in Central and Eastern Europe. He expressed deep gratitude for Bulgaria's valuable support during Vietnam's national liberation struggle and in its current nation-building and development efforts.

President Rumen Radev expressed delight at his first visit to Vietnam and sincerely thanked President Luong Cuong for the invitation and the warm, respectful, and thoughtful welcome extended to the delegation.

He regarded this as a testament to the longstanding mutual trust between the two countries and shared his admiration for and congratulated Vietnam on its significant achievements in national renewal, development, and international integration, highlighting Vietnam's growing political stature and economic success as an important player in Southeast Asia.

Acknowledging President Luong Cuong's remarks on the positive development of the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Bulgaria, President Radev expressed his pride in Bulgaria's contribution to Vietnam's development, particularly in the area of human resource development, including the training of over 30,000  professionals.

President Radev reaffirmed Bulgaria's view of Vietnam as a key partner in Southeast Asia and expressed a desire to strengthen cooperation across all areas.

President Radev stated that trade and investment were the primary objectives of his visit, accompanied by a delegation of major Bulgarian businesses, with hopes for concrete progress soon.

Overview of the meeting.

President Luong Cuong thanked Bulgaria for being one of the first EU members to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and called on Bulgaria to rally the remaining EU countries to complete the ratification process and support the European Commission in lifting the "yellow card" IUU warning on Vietnamese seafood exports.

President Radev confirmed Bulgaria's readiness, given its strategic location, to act as a bridge for Vietnam to access the EU market.

The two sides also agreed to intensify cooperation in traditional fields such as defense-security, education, science-technology, agriculture, culture and sports, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges while exploring new areas such as digital transformation, IT, mineral processing, and environmental protection.

They emphasized the importance of facilitating people-to-people exchanges to foster mutual understanding, simplifying visa procedures for citizens of both countries and encouraging greater cooperation between localities through trade, investment and tourism promotion activities.

President Luong Cuong also thanked the Bulgarian authorities for their support to the Vietnamese community living in Bulgaria, helping them further integrate into local society and contribute positively to Bulgaria's development and bilateral relations.

The leaders reaffirmed close coordination and mutual support in multilateral forums, especially the United Nations and within the ASEAN-EU framework, to address global challenges.

In discussing regional and international issues of mutual concern, including the East Sea, both sides emphasized that disputes and conflicts must be resolved peacefully based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS. They underscored the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight worldwide for common prosperity.

President Radev extended a formal invitation to President Luong Cuong to visit Bulgaria, which was graciously accepted.

After their talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of several cooperation agreements in education, trade, and local collaboration.

Both sides issued a Joint Statement underlining their shared commitment to strengthen cooperation in fields of mutual strength and interest, serving the people of both nations and contributing to peace, stability, and sustainable development in their regions and globally.