Presidents Rumen Radev and Luong Cuong: Bulgaria and Vietnam seek to expand bilateral cooperation with an emphasis on investment and trade exchange

Trade and economic cooperation between Bulgaria and Vietnam should be deepened and diversified, so as to correspond to the excellent dialogue at the highest political level. Our two countries are connected by historical traditions of long-standing and sincere friendship, mutual respect and trust. Bulgaria and Vietnam view their geopolitical location as an extremely important prerequisite for cooperation in the regions of Southeast Europe and Southeast Asia. This was the common position of the Head of State Rumen Radev and the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Luong Cuong, who held a meeting today in Hanoi. The Bulgarian Head of State is on an official visit to the country at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Vietnam, which will be celebrated on February 8, 2025.

Today, Rumen Radev and his wife Desislava Radeva were welcomed with a ceremony by the presidential couple of Vietnam. At the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, the Bulgarian and Vietnamese Heads of State held a meeting, after which they chaired plenary talks between the official delegations of the two countries. On the occasion of the official visit, a joint declaration was adopted, confirming the efforts to continuously upgrade the pragmatic and effective cooperation between Bulgaria and Vietnam, identifying specific measures in this direction.

Before the statements to the media in the presence of Presidents Rumen Radev and Luong Cuong, bilateral cooperation documents signed during the visit were exchanged. The first of them - an agreement on cooperation in the field of education for the period from 2025 to 2028, provides for the exchange of students, doctoral students, postgraduates and lecturers, study of Bulgarian and Vietnamese language and culture, joint research projects. Memorandums of cooperation were also signed between the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry, as well as between the municipalities of Can Tho and Ruse.

The two presidents noted the positive development of the traditional friendship between Bulgaria and Vietnam and outlined guidelines for its subsequent expansion. Areas of mutual interest were identified as promising areas with a main focus on investments, energy, information technologies, medicine, science and education, defense and culture, sports, agriculture, ecology. The upcoming production of electric cars by Vietnam also provides opportunities for cooperation with Bulgarian companies specializing in the development of automotive software, Rumen Radev noted, adding that automotive companies from Germany and Japan have already opened their development centers in our country in this area.

In his statement to the media, President Radev welcomed Vietnam's effective reforms in recent years and the remarkable socio-economic development, comprehensive modernization, and high and sustainable economic growth. The President highlighted the significant contribution of Vietnamese citizens who have studied and worked in Bulgaria - over 30 thousand people. "This community is an important factor for the further development of bilateral relations and a natural bridge between our peoples, which we must continue to strengthen," said Rumen Radev, describing the agreement signed today in the field of education as a decisive step in this direction. After a 40-year break, the training of Vietnamese military pilots in Bulgaria is also being restored. President Radev also noted the importance of the development of tourism, as well as interregional cooperation.

In his statement to the media, President Luong Cuong expressed his belief that with the signed documents and thanks to the political determination at the highest political level and the efforts of the institutions and businesses, the traditional friendship and multilateral cooperation between Bulgaria and Vietnam will be strengthened, responding to the need for sustainable development. We agreed to open new areas of cooperation in which Bulgaria has potential and Vietnam has interest - digital transformation, biotechnology, agriculture and healthcare, said President Cuong.

Bulgaria will continue to support all efforts to deepen cooperation between the EU and Vietnam, President Radev also stated. Cooperation in international formats within the UN and ASEAN-EU was also discussed by the two presidents. They expressed the common position that conflicts on a global scale should be resolved by peaceful means based on the principles of international law.

In Hanoi, the head of state held bilateral meetings with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam, with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, with the Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Manh. During today's meeting, President Rumen Radev, accompanied by his wife Desislava Radeva, paid tribute to the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh - the father of Vietnamese independence, as well as to the monument to national martyrs and heroes.

Today, the wife of the head of state Desislava Radeva visited the Vietnam-Bulgaria kindergarten in Hanoi, built in 1981 with Bulgarian support, where Vietnamese children learn Bulgarian language, traditions and folklore. Desislava Radeva congratulated the young graduates, teachers and the management of the preschool educational institution. She pointed out that the kindergarten has established itself over the years as a symbol of Bulgarian-Vietnamese solidarity and friendship. Desislava Radeva presented the children with a specially made doll of Yan Bibiyan, after whom the preschool group in the kindergarten is named.