Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân (third from left) had meeting with Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev (first, right) and Vice President Iliana Iotova (fourth from left) on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân on Tuesday met with Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev and held talks with Vice President Iliana Iotova as part of her official visit to the European country from October 25-27.

At the meetings, Xuân affirmed that her visit demonstrated the wish of Vietnamese leaders and people to further enhance the traditional friendship between the two countries in all spheres.

She thanked Bulgaria for its support to Việt Nam in the process of negotiations and signing of the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and suggested the two countries optimise opportunities presented by the deal to foster the bilateral trade ties as well as cooperation between ministries and agencies.

The Vietnamese Vice President called on Bulgaria to create optimal conditions for a number of Vietnamese goods to increase their presence in the market, and then penetrate the EU market.

She also asked Bulgarian high-ranking officials to work to urge the two legislatures to soon ratify the EU-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and said that Việt Nam always created favourable conditions for Bulgarian firms to invest and run business in the Southeast Asian country.

The Vice President used the occasion to appeal to Bulgaria to grant more scholarships to Vietnamese students, increase cultural and art exchanges, strengthen tourism collaboration, share experience in the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage, and consider receiving more Vietnamese guest workers.

She thanked the Bulgarian State and people for their assistance to the Vietnamese community in the country amid COVID-19.

The Bulgarian leaders appreciated Xuân’s choice of Bulgaria as the first foreign country to visit in her capacity as Vice President of Việt Nam.

President Rumen Radev expressed his admiration for the socio-economic achievements Việt Nam had recorded, and spoke highly of the progress in bilateral relations.

Bulgaria would stand ready to serve as a gateway for Việt Nam to forge its relations with the European Union, they pledged.

Vice President Iliana Iotova said Việt Nam and Bulgaria had substantial cooperation potential, and suggested the two sides beef up collaboration in traditional fields.

Before arriving in Bulgaria, Vice President Xuân visited Frankfurt, Germany, on October 25, where she received President of the Hessen State Parliament Boris Rhein.

During the reception, she thanked the authorities and people of Hessen State for their timely donations of COVID-19 vaccines and medical supplies to Việt Nam. — VNS