Bulgaria’s President and Vietnam’s PM in Tokyo discussed bilateral partnership

Increasing economic, trade and investment exchanges between Bulgaria and Vietnam is a common priority and the institutions in the two countries are ready to support business initiatives. This was the common position of Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev and Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc who held a meeting in Tokyo on October 22.

The two represented their countries at the enthronement ceremony of the new Emperor of Japan, Naruhito, the state of head’s press office said on October 22.

The forthcoming meeting of the Joint Committee on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation between Bulgaria and Vietnam in November this year in Sofia is a good occasion for holding bilateral business forums and identifying specific projects of mutual interest, said Rumen Radev. The Head of State confirmed the invitation to his Vietnamese counterpart, President Nguyen Phu Trong, to visit Bulgaria together with a strong business delegation.

Trust between Bulgaria and Vietnam and friendly relations between the people are the largest capital in bilateral relations, which, in addition to increasing trade, should be invested with the support of the institutions in setting up joint ventures for export to markets in Asia and within the common European market, the President called. According to Rumen Radev, the establishment of Bulgaria as a regional centre for the development of information technologies in Southeastern Europe, as well as the traditions in the field of electronics, pharmacy and medicine, also create prerequisites for the implementation of joint projects. It was also shared that a trade of about $ 100 million a year does not meet the potential of the twe countries.

"Bulgaria and Vietnam have the huge advantage that the two peoples do not have to get to know each other and are connected by relations of friendship and trust," said Rumen Radev. Nguyễn Xuân Phúc highlighted the excellent bilateral cooperation in the field of education and science in the recent past - 30,000 Vietnamese citizens, including himself, have completed higher education, received professional qualifications or specialized in Bulgaria, and called for restoring active partnership in these areas.

Cooperation in defence, arms repair and technology, as well as in the field of military education, was highlighted as a particularly promising area for the development of bilateral relations.

Nguyễn Xuân Phúc emphasized to the Head of State that as Chair of ASEAN in 2020, Vietnam will work for the subsequent expansion of Bulgaria's relations and economic partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Bulgaria and Vietnam have excellent co-operation within international organizations and will continue their active dialogue in forming and defending common positions, President Rumen Radev and Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc also noted in Tokyo.