Promoting cooperation between Vietnam and Bulgaria in all fields

At the invitation of National Assembly Chairman Rosen Zhelyazkov, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue will pay an official visit to the Republic of Bulgaria from September 23-26. On this occasion, Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee Don Tuan Phong gave an interview to the press about the purpose and significance of the visit. Nhan Dan Newspaper respectfully introduces the content of the interview.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue leaves Hanoi for official visits to Bangladesh and Bulgaria. (Photo: Doan Tan/VNA)

Reporter: Can you tell us the significance of the official visit to the Republic of Bulgaria by National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue?

Deputy Director Don Tuan Phong: Bulgaria is one of the countries that established relations with Vietnam very early, since 1950. Bulgaria has given Vietnam valuable support in the process of fighting for national liberation and unification as well as in the current process of building and developing the country.

Bulgaria has trained thousands of cadres, experts and tens of thousands of skilled workers for Vietnam - people who have been actively participating in making important contributions to the cause of defending the Fatherland and building the country. Among those who have studied in Bulgaria in the past, there are people who hold important positions in the political system as well as the socio-economic life of Vietnam.

Delegates attending the photo exhibition 'Vietnam-Bulgaria: 70 years of friendship and development' held in 2020. (Photo: Phan Tuan Anh/VNA)

Over the past 73 years, Vietnam has always attached importance to consolidating and developing the traditional friendship and cooperation with Bulgaria.

The official visit to Bulgaria by the Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly comes 15 years after the official friendship visit to Bulgaria by National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong in 2008.

The visit of the National Assembly Chairman is expected to include many activities such as: talks and meetings with senior leaders of Bulgaria; attending the Law and Policy Forum to promote bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and Bulgaria ; giving a policy speech at the University of International and National Economics in the capital Sofia...

The visit also aims to strengthen cooperation between the two countries' National Assemblies. It is expected that the two sides will update the Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries' National Assemblies with new cooperation contents to suit the international and regional situation as well as the relationship between the two countries.

Not only contributing to promoting cooperation in all fields such as economy, trade, culture, education..., one of the extremely important contents of this visit of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue is to promote Bulgaria in particular, the European Union (EU) in general in effectively implementing the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA); and to mobilize the Bulgarian National Assembly to ratify the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

Not only contributing to promoting cooperation in all fields such as economy, trade, culture, education..., one of the extremely important contents of this visit of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue is to promote Bulgaria in particular, the European Union (EU) in general in effectively implementing the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA); and to mobilize the Bulgarian National Assembly to ratify the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

In addition, during this visit, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue will also meet with the Vietnamese community in Bulgaria as well as some neighboring countries, demonstrating the attention of Party and State leaders to Vietnamese people abroad.

Reporter: Can you summarize the cooperation between the Bulgarian National Assembly and the Vietnamese National Assembly in recent times as well as expectations for the development of the relationship between the two countries in the coming time?

Deputy Chairman Don Tuan Phong: In recent years, cooperation between the two legislative bodies of the two countries has been very deep, both bilaterally and multilaterally.

The two countries' parliaments have exchanged many high-ranking delegations, notably the official friendship visit to Bulgaria by National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong in 2008.

In 2012, the leaders of the two National Assemblies signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Assembly of Vietnam and the National Assembly of Bulgaria. This is the legal basis for strengthening and further promoting cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries.

Along with that, the two sides maintain contact, coordination and mutual support at multilateral parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP).

Vietnamese and Bulgarian businesses seek cooperation opportunities at a Vietnam-Bulgaria Trade Forum. (Photo: Xuan Anh/VNA)

During the visit, it is expected that there will be talks and meetings between National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and senior leaders of Bulgaria. Through these high-level meetings, the National Assembly Chairman will, on behalf of the leaders of the Party and State of Vietnam, discuss measures to enhance cooperation in various fields, commensurate with the potential and aspirations of the two countries.

I believe that the visit will contribute to deepening the traditional friendship and enhancing multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Bulgaria - a relationship that has been built and nurtured over the past 73 years.

Reporter: Thank you very much!

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