Opening up new avenues for cooperation between Vietnam and Bulgaria.

At the invitation of Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, General Secretary To Lam and his wife, along with a high-level Vietnamese delegation, paid an official visit to the Republic of Bulgaria from October 22-24.

The visit takes place in the context of the two countries celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2025 (February 8, 1950 - February 8, 2025), contributing to further consolidating and strengthening the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Bulgaria, while also opening up new strategic cooperation opportunities between the two countries in the future.

75 years of traditional friendship and positive development.

Vietnam and Bulgaria share a traditional friendship, having established diplomatic relations on February 8, 1950. President Ho Chi Minh 's official friendship visit to Bulgaria in August 1957 laid the foundation and marked an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations.

During the most difficult and challenging years of the struggle for national independence and nation-building, Vietnam always received invaluable support, both material and spiritual, from the Government and people of Bulgaria.

Many economic, educational, and healthcare projects in Vietnam have been built with the material and technical assistance, as well as the selfless labor, of Bulgarian experts.

Bulgarian Parliament Speaker Rossen Jeliazkov visits the Vietnam-Bulgaria Kindergarten (Hanoi, 2024). (Photo: Minh Duc/VNA)

Many Vietnamese people worked and studied in Bulgaria during the 1970s and 1980s, becoming leading scientists, experts, and engineers in Vietnam. These individuals have actively contributed to the cause of national defense and development. This is an invaluable asset and a positive factor in strengthening the friendly and solidarity relationship between Vietnam and Bulgaria.

Building upon that fine tradition, the Party, State, Government, and people of both countries have continuously strived to cultivate and strengthen bilateral relations over the past seven decades, through regular exchanges of high-level delegations and the implementation of intergovernmental committee meetings and periodic political consultations; the implementation of numerous agreements, programs, and cooperation agreements; and active mutual support in international forums.

The excellent political relationship is marked by numerous high-level visits between the two sides, most notably the visits to Bulgaria by: Prime Minister Phan Van Khai (September 2000); National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong (June 2008); Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's official visit to Bulgaria on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (June 2015); Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan (October 2021); Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien meeting with Bulgarian Minister of Economy and Industry Bogdan Bogdanov on the sidelines of the 13th WTO Ministerial Meeting in the UAE (February 2024); General Secretary and President To Lam meeting with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on the occasion of attending the Summit on the Future and the High-Level General Debate of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA (September 2024). President Luong Cuong met with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov on the occasion of attending the High-Level General Debate of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in the United States (September 23, 2025); Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang paid a working visit (September 2025)...

On the occasion of attending the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly and working in the United States, on the morning of September 24, 2024, in New York City, General Secretary and President To Lam met with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev. (Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA)

On the Bulgarian side, there have been visits to Vietnam by: Speaker of Parliament Ognian Gherdjikov (March 2004); Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev (November 2006); President Georgi Parvanov (January 2009); Speaker of Parliament Tsetska Tsacheva (April 2012); President Rosen Plevneliev (October 2013); Prime Minister Plamen Vasilev Oresharski (April 2014); Vice President Margarita Popova (November 2015); Minister of Economy Emil Karanikolov (September 2018); Speaker of Parliament Rossen Dimitrov Jeliazkov (January 2024); President Rumen Radev on an official visit (November 2024)...

In high-level and other contacts, Bulgarian leaders have consistently expressed their affection and respect for Vietnam's traditional historical relationship, admiring its socio-economic development achievements and international integration, and expressing their readiness to act as a bridge to promote extensive cooperation between Vietnam and the European Union (EU) and the Balkans region.

Currently, the two countries have a cooperation mechanism: the Intergovernmental Committee on Economic, Trade and Scientific-Technical Cooperation, which recently held its 24th session in Sofia in May 2024.

In addition, the two countries signed a new economic and trade agreement, granting each other most-favored-nation status in March 2001; the two countries' Ministries of Foreign Affairs signed a Protocol on Cooperation in September 2012.

The two countries also cooperate closely in regional and international forums, especially within the framework of the United Nations, ASEAN-EU cooperation, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), etc.

Bulgaria views Vietnam as a reliable bridge to help Bulgaria penetrate the ASEAN market and is also ready to become a gateway to help Vietnam actively access the EU market.

Effective cooperation in many fields

Economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and Bulgaria has seen positive developments in recent years. Bulgaria is one of the leading European Union (EU) countries in ratifying the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation (PCA) between Vietnam and the EU, as well as promoting the signing and ratification of the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

Vietnam's main export items to Bulgaria include cotton yarn, coffee beans, natural rubber, rice, cashew nuts, clothing, handbags, and leather shoes... In the photo: Sewing briefcases, backpacks, and handbags by Ladoda Leather Products Import-Export and Trading Service Company. (Photo: Tuan Anh/VNA)

In September 2023, the Bulgarian Parliament ratified the Vietnam-European Union Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) with an unanimous vote. This is highly significant, demonstrating the importance placed on the traditional friendship and cooperation in many fields between the two countries, and creating a solid and favorable legal basis for businesses from both countries to expand investment cooperation in the future after the agreement comes into effect.

Bilateral trade turnover reached US$118.7 million in 2020; US$234.6 million in 2021; US$203.6 million in 2022; US$211.5 million in 2023; US$263.01 million in 2024; and nearly US$110 million in the first six months of 2025. Vietnam exports many of its strong export items to Bulgaria, especially agricultural products, textiles, and light industrial goods.

Regarding investment, Bulgaria currently has 14 active investment projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of US$35 million. Of these, the two largest Bulgarian projects in Vietnam are the Instant Coffee Processing Plant Project in Lam Dong province (US$14 million) and the Knitting and Garment Company Limited Project in Thua Thien Hue province (US$14 million).

Bulgarian businesses are increasingly interested in the Vietnamese market in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, renewable energy, agricultural processing and logistics.

Burgas Port in Bulgaria. (Photo: Doan Tan/VNA)

In contrast, Vietnamese enterprises consider Bulgaria a "gateway" to the European Union (EU) market, thanks to its strategic geographical location, developed transport infrastructure and strongly improved business environment.

Bulgaria is also considered a potential location with reasonable production costs, making it suitable for Vietnamese businesses to invest in the production of processed agricultural products, textiles, and footwear, thereby expanding their presence in the European market.

Labor cooperation is emerging as a promising new direction in bilateral relations. Due to Bulgaria's labor shortage, an increasing number of Vietnamese workers are coming to work in sectors such as construction, mechanics, food processing, and healthcare.

Vietnamese workers are highly regarded for their skills, discipline, and sense of responsibility, leaving a positive impression on Bulgarian society. Both sides wish to establish a new cooperation mechanism on labor, aiming for sustainable, humane, and mutually beneficial cooperation, while strengthening ties between the people of the two countries.

Educational and scientific cooperation continues to be a highlight in bilateral relations. Every year, both sides maintain exchanges of students and researchers in accordance with the Education Cooperation Agreement between the two Governments.

Many universities and research institutes have signed academic and research cooperation agreements. In the 2025-2026 academic year, the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training will for the first time send Vietnamese language lecturers to teach at Sofia University, marking a new development in academic and linguistic exchange.

Deputy Director General of VNA Doan Thi Tuyet Nhung and Director General of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Kiril Valchev signed an agreement on professional exchange cooperation between the two news agencies (Sofia, 2023). (Photo: Phuong Ha/VNA)

The two countries have signed a cooperation program for the period 2025-2028 and are exploring expanding cooperation in training in areas where Bulgaria has strengths, such as information technology, cybersecurity, e-government, and public administration.

The two sides have implemented a number of collaborative scientific research tasks; established a Committee for Cooperation on Science and Technology, focusing on the fields of biotechnology, agriculture, information and communication technology, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, green energy, etc.

Regarding cultural and tourism cooperation, the two countries have signed a Cultural Cooperation Program for the period 2024-2026 and a Cooperation Plan in the field of tourism for the period 2024-2026.

Following Vietnam's decision to grant visa exemptions to Bulgarian citizens starting in August 2025, tourism businesses in both countries have been promoting cooperation to connect tour routes, particularly focusing on cultural tourism, heritage sites, and beach resorts.

Additionally, the two sides are exploring the possibility of cooperation in the fields of sports and creative culture, leveraging Bulgaria's strengths in gymnastics, classical music, and theatrical arts.

Professor-Doctor of Science Stoyan Burov, former Vice-Rector of Veliko Tarnovo University (Bulgaria), presents the second edition of the Bulgarian-Vietnamese Dictionary to delegates at the "Returning to the Land of Memories" friendship exchange program and the launch of the second edition of the Vietnamese-Bulgarian Dictionary (April 13, 2023). (Photo: VNA)

People-to-people exchanges between the two countries are constantly expanding. The Vietnam-Bulgaria Friendship Association and the Bulgaria-Vietnam Friendship Association regularly cooperate in organizing photo exhibitions, friendship exchanges, film screenings, and events promoting Vietnamese culture and cuisine in Bulgaria, contributing to strengthening the bond and enhancing understanding between the two nations.

Local cooperation is also taking place actively. Localities of the two countries proactively seek opportunities for twinning and development cooperation, contributing to deepening bilateral cooperation.

The Vietnamese community currently living in Bulgaria numbers approximately 1,200 people. They have integrated well into the host country, becoming a bridge that brings the Vietnamese and Bulgarian people closer together and achieves many positive results.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Nguyen Minh Nguyet assessed that these comprehensive results show that Vietnam-Bulgaria relations are entering a more dynamic, substantive, and comprehensive stage of development, based on traditional friendship, political trust, and strong bonds of affection between the people of the two countries.

Building on the foundation of traditional friendly relations and positive developments in recent times, the official visit of General Secretary To Lam and his wife, along with a high-level Vietnamese delegation, to the Republic of Bulgaria from October 22-24 is a significant event.

The visit marks the first time the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam has visited Bulgaria in 50 years, signifying a new stage in the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Bulgaria. The visit demonstrates the importance placed on the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Bulgaria, and contributes to opening up new strategic areas of cooperation between the two countries in the future, such as renewable energy, high technology, AI, digital transformation, and green transformation.

According to Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Nguyen Minh Nguyet, General Secretary To Lam's visit to Bulgaria symbolizes the political trust, unwavering loyalty, and shared aspirations of the two peoples, creating new momentum to elevate Vietnam-Bulgaria relations to a new level, worthy of the 75-year tradition of friendship and the enormous potential for cooperation between the two countries, which occupy important geostrategic positions in Southeast Asia and Southeast Europe.

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong and Kazanlak Mayor Stephan Damianov participate in a cultural performance according to traditional Bulgarian customs (2008). (Photo: Tri Dung/VNA)

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/mo-ra-nhung-khong-gian-hop-tac-moi-giua-viet-nam-va-bulgaria-post1071800.vnp