On October 22, General Secretary To Lam and his wife visited Bulgaria.

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

Vietnam and Bulgaria have a long-standing friendship. This is the first visit of the head of the Communist Party of Vietnam to Bulgaria in 50 years, marking a new stage in the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Bulgaria.

The visit takes place at a time when the two countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (1950-2025), a loyal, trustworthy relationship that has been tested and nurtured over many decades, from the years of fighting for national independence to the cause of national construction and development.

This is also the fourth high-level delegation exchange in the past three years, demonstrating the good political relationship and strategic trust between the two sides' leaders.

General Secretary To Lam received Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on the occasion of the President's visit to Vietnam in November 2024. Photo: Pham Hai

Furthermore, the visit takes place against the backdrop of both Vietnam and Bulgaria achieving many outstanding accomplishments in socio-economic development and regional and international integration.

In 2024, bilateral trade turnover increased by nearly 30% over the previous year, reflecting a positive recovery and growth trend.

In the first nine months of this year, exports of many of Vietnam's key products to Bulgaria maintained impressive growth, especially agricultural products, textiles, and light industrial goods.

In the investment sector, the Bulgarian Parliament ratified the Vietnam-European Union Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) in September 2023, creating a more favorable legal framework for bilateral cooperation.

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

Conversely, Vietnamese businesses view Bulgaria as a "gateway" to the European Union (EU) market, thanks to its strategic geographical location, developed transportation infrastructure, and significantly improved business environment.

Labor cooperation is emerging as a new and promising direction. Faced with Bulgaria’s labor shortage, more and more Vietnamese workers are coming to work in the fields of construction, mechanics, food processing, health care, etc.

Educational and scientific cooperation continues to be a highlight. Every year, both sides maintain exchanges of students and researchers. Many universities and research institutes have signed agreements on academic and research cooperation.

Cultural cooperation, tourism and people-to-people exchanges continue to be strongly promoted. The Vietnam - Bulgaria and Bulgaria - Vietnam Friendship Associations regularly coordinate to organize photo exhibitions, friendship exchanges, film screenings and events promoting Vietnamese culture and cuisine in Bulgaria, contributing to strengthening the relationship and enhancing understanding between the two peoples.

The Vietnamese community in Bulgaria promotes its role as a bridge of friendship and actively participates in local social and cultural activities.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tong-bi-thu-va-phu-nhan-sap-tham-bulgaria-2455113.html