Individuals Recognized for Their Contributions to Vietnam-Bulgaria Friendship

Speaker of the National Assembly of Bulgaria Rosen Dimitrov Jeliazkov. Photo: Dinh Hoa

According to VOV, around 30,000 Vietnamese people studied and worked in Bulgaria between 1950 and 1980. Presently, this number is around 1,000.

These people play a crucial role in promoting cooperation between the two countries and ensuring the success of bilateral collaboration. It is hoped that this community will further strengthen the friendship and cooperation between Bulgaria and Vietnam by bringing their affection, knowledge, and experience gained from studying and working in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria, as a member of the European Union (EU), and Vietnam, a dynamic member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), have great potential for cooperation in economics, culture, and education. Bulgaria can act as a gateway for Vietnam to access the European market and vice versa, while Vietnam can serve as a bridge for Bulgaria to access the ASEAN market, emphasized the Speaker.

Vice Chairman of the Vietnam-Bulgaria Friendship Association Nguyen Truong Son expressed gratitude to the Bulgarian Government and people for their support to Vietnamese people who studied and worked in Bulgaria.

On this occasion, Speaker Rosen Dimitrov Jeliazkov awarded the Bulgarian NA’s certificates of merit to six Vietnamese individuals who have made outstanding achievements in people-to-people diplomacy and contributed significantly to the friendship and solidarity between the two countries.

Speaker Rosen Dimitrov Jeliazkov presents the Bulgarian NA’s certificates of merit to six Vietnamese individuals with outstanding achievements in people-to-people diplomacy and important contributions to the two countries’ friendship and solidarity. Photo: Dinh Hoa

Successful visit

According to VietnamPlus, Speaker Rosen Dimitrov Jeliazkov and his delegation concluded their five-day official trip to Vietnam on January 9. The visit, at the invitation of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, marked the first visit by a Bulgarian NA Speaker in over a decade, reciprocating the official visit by the Vietnamese top legislator to Bulgaria in September 2023.

The purpose of Jeliazkov’s visit was to strengthen political relations between the two countries through exchanges between the two Parties, States, parliaments, Governments, and people. It provided an opportunity for the two sides to discuss regional and international issues of mutual concern, and enhance bilateral relations and cooperation in various areas, especially in areas of their respective strengths.

Bulgaria considers Vietnam an important partner in ASEAN, while Vietnam sees the visiting delegation as an important link to a strategic Eastern European partner.

During the visit, Jeliazkov held extensive meetings with Vietnamese leaders.

The leaders of the two countries acknowledged the positive progress in bilateral cooperation across various areas and agreed to continue enhancing visits and contact at all levels, as well as effectively implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms and agreements.

Chairman of the Vietnamese NA Vuong Dinh Hue (R) and Speaker of the Bulgarian NA Rosen Dimitrov Jeliazkov in Hanoi on January 8. Photo: VNA

Targeting USD 500 million in bilateral trade revenue

Despite the global economic downturn, the bilateral trade revenue reached over $200 million. The two sides aim to reach $500 million a year in bilateral trade through the promotion of trade and investment cooperation, particularly in areas such as hi-tech agriculture, pharmaceuticals, IT, tourism, culture, and aviation.

Vietnam appealed to Bulgaria to use its influence to help the European Commission consider the removal of the “yellow card” warning imposed on Vietnamese seafood. Vietnam also appreciated the Bulgarian NA’s ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), which will facilitate Bulgarian enterprises’ access to the Vietnamese market and the ASEAN market. Vietnam urged Bulgaria to expedite the ratification by the remaining EU member parliaments so that the EVIPA can come into effect as soon as possible.

The two legislators agreed to swiftly and actively formalize the new Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the two parliaments, signed in September 2023, in line with the understanding that parliamentary cooperation is an important pillar of the bilateral relations.

Collaboration between the two parliamentary friendship groups will enable the Vietnamese and Bulgarian National Assemblies to work together in supervising the implementation of their plans and agreements from 2024.

The two sides also affirmed their commitment to maintaining high-level mutual visits between NA leaders, agencies, and parliamentary friendship groups. They plan to increase information and experience sharing in parliamentary activities, coordinate cooperation agreements between the two Governments, and provide mutual support in multilateral parliamentary forums, as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern.