Vietnam serves as bridge for Bulgaria to strengthen ties with ASEAN
Zapryanov affirmed that Bulgaria considers Vietnam an important partner and a bridge for Bulgaria to enhance its engagement with member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He highly appreciated President Rumen Radev’s visit to Vietnam in November 2024, calling it a significant milestone and a strong impetus for deepening the bilateral relations.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet meets with Bulgarian Minister of Defence Atanas Zapryanov. (Photo published by VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam always attaches importance to the consolidation and enhancement of relations with traditional friends, with Bulgaria regarded as a priority partner, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulga🍰ria Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet.
At a meeting with Bulgarian Minister of Defence Atanas Zapryanov, Nguyet stated that the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Bulgaria are developing well, marked by high political trust and mutual support at multilateral forums, particularly within the framework of the United Nations.
The Ambassador proposed several specific directions for defence cooperation, including the establishment of a strategic or policy dialogue mechanism, and the enhancement of academic exchanges and annual experience sharing between military training institutions of both countries.
Zapryanov affirmed that Bulgaria considers Vietnam an important partner and a bridge for Bulgaria to enhance its engagement with member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He highly appreciated President Rumen Radev’s visit to Vietnam in November 2024, calling it a significant milestone and a strong impetus for deepening the bilateral relations.
Regarding defence cooperation, Zapryanov stressed that the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence has maintained close collaboration with its Vietnamese counterpart. He praised the annual exchange of military delegations between the two countries as an effective channel for fostering mutual understanding and trust. He also expressed his desire to increase the exchange delegations with Vietnam to three per year starting in 2026.
The minister acknowledged and commended the role of Vietnam’s Defence Attaché Office in fostering cooperation between the two defence ministries. He noted that Bulgaria is exploring the possibility of sending a resident Defence Attaché in Vietnam.
Both sides agreed that Vietnam and Bulgaria hold significant potential for cooperation in various areas, including high-level and expert delegation exchanges, military training, and defence industry collaboration.
Zapryanov directed the Bulgarian Defence Policy and Planning Directorate to continue close coordination with Vietnam’s representative agencies in Bulgaria and relevant units of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence to effectively implement the discussed initiatives./.
Vietnam is a key partner for Bulgaria in Southeast Asia, with potential for future joint work in IT, innovation, green transition, digital transformation, high-tech agriculture, and pharmaceuticals.
The 75-year diplomatic milestone is described as a testament to the steadfast and enduring friendship nurtured by generations of leaders and citizens from Vietnam and Bulgaria.
Bulgaria holds strengths in sectors that align well with Vietnam’s development focus, including information technology, software, electronics, energy and the environment, startups and innovation, agriculture and food processing, logistics, and freight services.
The Prime Minister pledged full support for foreign investors, particularly those from Japan, to operate in Vietnam, stressing a commitment to “harmonised interests and shared risks”.
State President Luong Cuong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh cabled congratulatory messages to French President Emmanuel Macron and PM François Bayrou respectively.
A delegation from the Ministry of National Defence led by Deputy Minister Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien on July 14 inspected key locations for second Vietnam-Cambodia Border Defence Friendship Exchange in November.
Party General Secretary To Lam urged Nghia Tru commune to turn itself as a model for urban development integrated with ecological agriculture, new rural services, and the preservation of traditional values.
HCM City is committed to creating the most favourable conditions in terms of policy, regulatory framework, and investment environment to ensure that cooperation initiatives with France are implemented in a substantive, effective, and sustainable manner, a local official has said.
State President Luong Cuong, Chairman of the Council of National Defence and Security and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, presided over a ceremony in Hanoi on July 14 to hand over promotion decisions to leaders of the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security.
Friendship is one of the most profound characteristics of the bilateral ties, forged over a long history full of ups and downs, with both nations cherishing this uniqueness through their ability to look back on the shared past with calmness and goodwill, said French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet.
NA Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh Thanh highly appreciated the role of the French Parliament in the APF and congratulated France on successfully hosting APF-50.
Shear highlighted the significant strides made in the Vietnam–US relationship over the past three decades. Two-way trade has reached 150 billion USD, tens of thousands of Vietnamese students are studying and conducting research in the US, and robust people-to-people exchanges have continued to flourish.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh noted that the two-level local administration model in the Mekong Delta has been fundamentally well implemented, showing steady progress, gradual improvement, and increasing operational stability.
“I personally do not think that we would have the relationship we do today, nor do I think Vietnam would be the safe, the secure, the stable, the prosperous country it is, if it weren't for the fact that it was the Vietnamese Government that trusted and said, ‘We want to help you,’” Director of the US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) Kelly McKeague said.
This is the first time Vietnam’s National Assembly has participated in the event, which brought together over 550 delegates from 59 countries and territories, at vice-presidential level.
Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Vu Hong Thanh held talks with Vice President of the National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire Woi Mela Gaston, and met with Vice President of the Senate Sarra Fadika Sako as part of his official visit to the African country July 9 to 12.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a conference on July 13 focused on the operation of the two-tier local government model, the progress of key transport infrastructure projects, and the implementation of the Mekong Delta's sustainable one-million-hectare low-emission and high-quality rice cultivation plan.
US Ambassador Marc Knapper affirmed that the US is ready to continue working with Vietnam to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and advance the bilateral relationship, based on mutual respect for each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political systems.
