The official visit marks an important milestone in the traditional friendship and co-operation between the two countries as they are celebrating the 65th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.
When arriving at Sofia’s international airport, PM Dung and his entourage were warmly welcomed.
During meetings and talks with Bulgarian leaders, they spoke highly of Vietnam’s role and position in the Asia-Pacific and in connecting the European country with the potential ASEAN market. For his part, PM Dung affirmed that Vietnamese people always remember and are grateful for Bulgaria’s support during national fights for independence in the past and in current national construction, saying that Vietnam always attaches importance to enhancing relations with potential partners and traditional friends, particularly Bulgaria.
At the meeting with Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, PM Dung and the host agreed that the two countries should promote co-operation in all fields and collaboration between the two countries’ localities in order to escalate bilateral relations to a new height, towards a strategic partnership in the future.
During talks between PM Dung and his Bulgarian counterpart, both sides affirmed that the two countries ought to enhance all-round co-operation and move towards a strategic partnership with a focus on fostering a new economic co-operation model, boosting economic, trade and investment co-operation while encouraging and facilitating both countries’ agencies and businesses to continue co-operation and business links in fields in which both sides have potential and demand, as well as in fields that both countries can support each other in.
Bulgarian leaders expressed their strong support for an early conclusion of the Vietnam-EU Partnership and Comprehensive Co-operation Agreement (PCA) and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). President Plevneliev said that if the EVFTA were signed, Bulgaria would be the first country ratifying the agreement.
Together with political ties at state level, relations between the two countries’ localities, including those between Sofia and Ho Chi Minh City, Varna and Da Nang city and Ruse and Can Tho city, have flourished.
At the press briefing after talks between the two PMs, the host hailed Vietnam as a close friend of Bulgaria in Asia. He highlighted that thousands of Vietnamese people have been trained in the European country serving as an advantage for bilateral relations to strive in the future. He went on to express his belief that based on the traditional friendship the bilateral relations would flourish in the coming time.
One of the visit’s main purposes was to boost economic, trade and investment links and foster connectivity between the two countries’ business communities. Shortly before attending the Vietnam-Bulgaria Business Dialogue, PM Dung met with Bulgarian businesses interested in the Vietnamese market.
The Chair of the Board of Directors of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (CEIBG), Kiril Domuschiev said that the CEIBG – the largest and the most prestigious organisation of big business groups in Bulgaria, is calling on the Bulgarian Government and relevant agencies to submit amendments and supplements to the Bulgarian National Assembly on facilitating residential card issuance for experts and workers from countries not belonging to the EU, including those from Vietnam, therefore giving Vietnamese workers more favourable conditions to work in the European country. Domuschiev, CEO of Huvepharma – a large pharmaceuticals and veterinary medicine producer, expressed his wish to invest in a plant producing specialised veterinary medicine with competitive prices in Vietnam.
Plamen Bobokov, CEO of Prista Oil Group expressed his wish for the prompt approval of a project, which will build two treatment plants treating industrial oil with the most advanced US technology in Vietnam, contributing to environmental protection.
Meanwhile, Ventsislav Cholakov, CEO of Bulgartabac, took the opportunity to introduce PM Dung with Bulgaria’s two well-known products, roses and yoghurt, saying that the group is working with Vinamilk to produce yoghurt for local consumption and export.
President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Tsvetan Simeonov noted that the organisation’s members have planned to build 20 plants producing bio-fuel and processing wastewater in Vietnam.
PM Dung expressed his support for the projects and specified relevant ministries and agencies Bulgarian partners could contact to learn of required procedures and lessen potential difficulties, thus contributing to implementing the projects more effectively.
The attractiveness of the Vietnamese market, business opportunities and demand in Vietnam, as well as the presence of PM Dung, Deputy PM Tomislav Donchev and high-level officials of both sides at the Vietnam-Bulgaria Business Dialogue, drew flocks of businessmen from both countries to the event.
Deputy PM Donchev sincerely addressed the conference, saying that Vietnam and Bulgaria have sound people-to-people relations, which would create favourable conditions for promoting the bilateral ties to a higher level. He openly stated that the current two-way trade turnover of US$90 million per year between the two countries is not on par with the potential of both countries and their sound relations. He suggested that Bulgaria boost exports of wheat and pharmaceuticals to Vietnam and Vietnam increase exports of rice, tea and coffee to the European country, as well as that both countries should promote trade in high value added goods in particular.
The Deputy PM said that Bulgaria is honoured to have a reliable friend and partner such as Vietnam in Asia.
After highlighting Vietnam’s economic achievements, great potential and opportunities for investing in the country, PM Dung called on Bulgarian businesses to invest in projects in modern agriculture, pharmaceuticals, clean energy, engineering and manufacturing. He pushed for Vietnamese businesses to promote the export of agricultural, electronic, garment and textile products and seek opportunities to import quality and competitive products from Bulgaria.
PM Dung conveyed the message that the Vietnamese Government is committed to creating favourable conditions for Bulgarian businesses to invest effectively and sustainably in Vietnam.
This is the fourth business dialogue between Vietnam and other partners in the one-week diplomatic tour of PM Dung and his entourage to four countries in three continents. In all four dialogues, PM Dung and the Vietnamese business community have been warmly received, contributing to the visit’s overall success.
