Vietnam and Bulgaria strengthen connections in the fields of environment, sports, and youth

Recently, Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet met and worked with a number of Ministers of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) in the government, including Minister of Environment and Water Resources Manol Genov, Minister of Youth and Sports Ivan Peshev and Minister of Labor and Social Policy Borislav Gutsanov.

Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet and Minister of Youth and Sports Ivan Peshev.

During the meetings, Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet affirmed her commitment to promoting cooperative relations between the two countries in all fields.

Regarding the environmental sector, the Ambassador proposed establishing a formal cooperation mechanism between the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, organizing exchange visits to share experiences; cooperating in technology transfer in wastewater treatment, water reuse, solid waste and plastic management, air pollution control, renewable energy development, and energy efficiency; exchanging experts and conducting joint research in the fields of biodiversity conservation and resource management; and also requested Bulgaria to lobby the European Union (EU) for technical and financial support for Vietnam in developing a circular economy, a blue economy, marine conservation, sustainable forest management, and biodiversity conservation.

In the field of sports, Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet congratulated Bulgarian sports on achieving many outstanding achievements in July 2025, including winning the Wimbledon Youth Tennis Championship, winning the Women's U19 Volleyball World Championship, and topping the Balkan Gymnastics Championship rankings.

The Ambassador proposed promoting cooperation in training, coaching, and scientific research in sports between universities and training centers of the two countries; strengthening cooperation between the Olympic Committees; coordinating the creation of a mechanism for Vietnam to send sports teams to Bulgaria for training, especially in sports where Bulgaria has strengths; introducing skilled Bulgarian experts to support Vietnam in further improving its performance in certain sports; and exchanging delegations and sharing competition experiences annually.

Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet met with Minister of Environment and Water Resources Manol Genov.

Meanwhile, Minister of Environment and Water Resources Manol Genov highly appreciated the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Bulgaria, sharing memorable memories with the previous generation of Vietnamese people who lived, studied and worked in Bulgaria in the 1990s.

He suggested that a cooperation mechanism between the two Ministries and professional working levels should be established soon; expressed readiness for dialogue, cooperation, and exchange of knowledge, technology, experts, and scholarships in areas where Bulgaria has experience, such as energy security, biodiversity, atmospheric protection, disaster prevention, and forest fire prevention; expressed a desire to learn from Vietnam's experience in developing the marine and ocean economy; and affirmed that Vietnam can fully trust in Bulgaria's support within cooperation frameworks with the EU.

Minister of Youth and Sports Ivan Peshev stated that, given their long-standing tradition of cooperation, the two countries can enhance the exchange of experience in the fields of youth and sports. He highlighted Bulgaria's numerous sports training centers, notably the Bulgarian National Sports Academy (NSA, established in 1942), with its 20-hectare facility and training in 63 sports. Bulgaria is currently developing a national strategy on physical education to promote mass sports and improve public health.

Minister Ivan Peshev proposed that the two sides consider exchanging delegations at all levels and sharing experiences, while affirming that Bulgaria is ready to support training coaches and athletes for Vietnam in sports in which the country is strong.

Deputy Minister in charge of youth policy Petar Mladenov said Bulgaria is currently cooperating effectively with Asian countries in the youth field, typically the youth and young intellectual exchange program with South Korea, which has been implemented since 2013.

He said Bulgaria has many youth centers across the country, ready to coordinate international activities. In addition to bilateral cooperation, the two sides can also promote cooperation through international programs, including the EU's Erasmus.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/viet-nam-va-bulgaria-tang-cuong-ket-noi-trong-cac-linh-vuc-moi-truong-the-thao-thanh-nien-324859.html