Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borissov have agreed to bolster Vietnam – Bulgaria cooperation in all fields towards a strategic partnership.

During their talks in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria on June 5, the two government leaders said the key priority will be given to promoting the new model of economic cooperation and trade and investment links.

They intended to boost trade exchange and facilitating exchanges and partnerships between the two business communities, especially in areas of transport infrastructure, irrigation, garment materials, electricity and renewable energies, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, information and bio technology and post-harvest processing.

Ties across education-training, national defence-security, science-technology, culture, tourism and transport will also be reinforced.

Hailing the traditional friendship between the two countries, the PMs agreed to hold celebrations for the 65 th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties this year, including photo exhibitions, film screenings and exchanges of art troupes.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung thanked Bulgaria for adding Vietnam to the list of partners in its 2015 development cooperation agenda and asked for closer joint efforts in environment, waste treatment, water resource management and upgrade of relics.

Expressing thanks to Bulgarian authorities for their support to Vietnamese nationals living in the country, the Vietnamese leader also believed that they will continue acting as a bridge connecting the two countries.

Both sides vowed mutual support at the United Nations, the Asia-Europe Meeting, the ASEAN-European Union (EU) and international forums.

PM Borissov said Bulgaria backs the strengthening of relationship between Vietnam and the EU and will push for EU’s early ratification of the Vietnam – EU Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation, as well as the signing of a Vietnam – EU Free Trade Agreement, which he said would be useful for developing the ties between Bulgaria and Vietnam while making it easier for Vietnam to successfully integrate into the global economy.

On regional and global issues of shared interest, the two leaders shared concern over the recent complicated developments in the East Sea, including large-scale land reclamation projects. They stressed the need to settle disputes by peaceful means and refraining from the use of force or threat to use force in line with basic principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, towards early formulation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

Following the talks, the two PMs witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement on crime control between the two governments, a 2016-2017 cooperation scheme between the two justice ministries, memoranda of understanding on establishing friendly and cooperative ties between Ho Chi Minh City and Sofia city, and between the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and Rousse city.

At a press briefing later, PM Nguyen Tan Dung and PM Boyko Borissov announced the outcomes of their talks and the issuance of a Vietnam – Bulgaria Joint Statement.

The Vietnamese guest declared that Vietnam welcomes and provides all possible support to Bulgarian investors active in Vietnam, especially in urban planning, application of bio-technology in agriculture and health care, information technology and communications, effective use of energy, environmental protection, food processing and tourism.-

PM pushes Bulgarian investment towards key sectors

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung pushed Bulgarian investment towards hi-tech agriculture, pharmaceuticals, clean energy and mechanical engineering in Vietnam during the Vietnam–Bulgaria business dialogue in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria on June 5.

In the meantime, he also urged for increased exports of Vietnamese farm produce, electronics, garment and imports of Bulgarian food, pharmaceuticals and machines.

Vietnam is a vibrant economy and an attractive investment destination which is integrating into the global economy, he said, adding that Vietnam and Bulgaria are long-time partners with over 4,000 Vietnamese experts trained in the European country.

Bulgaria, strategically located in the Central and South Europe, is currently investing in 10 projects worth about 31 million USD in engineering and information technology in Vietnam.

Vietnam highly values Bulgaria’s economic policy and strengths in mining, energy, metallurgy, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, farming and engineering as well as its role of connecting Central-South European economies with Asian counterparts, including Vietnam, the Vietnamese leader said.

While answering queries by Bulgarian business community, he also introduced Vietnam’s incentives to foreign investors and response to the global economic crisis.

About the new model of Vietnam–Bulgaria economic cooperation, the Vietnamese guest expressed his support to the initiative proposed by Bulgarian President and revealed that a working group will be established soon to realise the model.

Bulgarian Vice President, in his address, said looking towards a strategic partnership, Vietnam is expected to become a launch pad for Bulgaria to extend its ties with ASEAN member states and Asia-Pacific economies.

Bulgaria is ready to be a gateway for Vietnamese goods to break into the EU and share its know-how in renewable energy and environmental protection, he said.

Earlier, the PM met Chairman of the Managing Board of Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association Vasil Velev, President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tsvetan Simeonov, Director of the Executive Agency for Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises Marieta Zaharieva, and several corporate executives.

Bulgarian NA backs Vietnam-EU free trade agreement

The National Assembly of Bulgaria will urge the European Union (EU) to early ratify the Vietnam–EU Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation and back the early signing of a Vietnam – EU Free Trade Agreement, Speaker Tsetska Tsacheva told Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Sofia, Bulgaria on June 5.

She said the Bulgarian parliament continually supports and helps further the ties between Vietnam and Bulgaria, and between Vietnam and the EU.

The two countries share a 65-year history of friendship which is moving forward in various domains, she said.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung expressed his satisfaction with the progress of cooperation between the two legislative bodies, including the sharing of legislation and supervision experience through visits. He also hailed the Bulgarian NA’s contribution to the success of the 132nd Inter-Parliamentary Union held in Hanoi last March.

He hoped that the Bulgarian NA will continue holding up its active role in the bilateral ties.

Both sides took the occasion to pledge mutual support at multilateral cooperation frameworks, especially the United Nations.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung conveyed an invitation to visit Vietnam from National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung to the Bulgarian NA leader.

PM meets Bulgarian Socialist Party leader, concludes visit

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) will continue striving for the sake of the bilateral ties, its Chairman Mikhail Mikov told Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria on June 6.

He also expressed his delight at the dynamic development of bilateral ties across various fields, especially between localities.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung, for his part, believed that the BSP will keep playing a significant role in Bulgarian political life.

He hoped that Mikov, in his role as leader of the left-wing parliamentarians’ group, will do his constructive parts in diverse cooperation between the two countries and push for the European Parliament’s early approval of the Vietnam – EU Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation and the signing of a Vietnam – EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and recognition of Vietnam as a market economy at the end of the EVFTA negotiations.

Before leaving Bulgaria for Vietnam the same day, the Vietnamese leader also met overseas Vietnamese community and embassy staff there.

Prime Minister meets Bulgarian President

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev have agreed to foster economic, trade and investment ties towards a strategic partnership level during their meeting in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria on late June 5 (local time).

In their views, priority should also be given to areas of national defence-security, science-technology, education-training, culture, tourism and cooperation between localities.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung informed the host of the outcomes of his talks with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Speaker of the National Assembly Tsetska Tschaeva and the Vietnam – Bulgaria business dialogue.

He asked for continued effective collaboration in fields of shared interest, especially the new economic cooperation model initiated by Bulgarian President.

President Plevneliev welcomed the visit which came in conjunction with the 65th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

He stated that Bulgaria supports the strengthening of ties between Vietnam and the European Union (EU), the upcoming signing of the Vietnam–EU free trade agreement and Vietnam’s position on the East Sea issue.

A day earlier, the Vietnamese leader received Bulgarian NA Vice President and Chairman of the Bulgaria-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Association Yavor Iliev Haytov.

The Vietnamese leader noted that as Vietnam and Bulgaria are developing a new cooperation model, the association needs to continue acting as a bridge connecting the two nations.

Haytov, in return, vowed to do his best for the long-standing friendly coordination between the two countries and peoples.