Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ (left) and Prime Minister of Bulgaria Nikolai Denkov had talks on September 25 in Sofia. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

SOFIA — National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ and Prime Minister of Bulgaria Nikolai Denkov have agreed to revitalise traditional areas of cooperation such as agriculture, food processing, pharmaceuticals while also opening up new and promising fields of collaboration like green and digital transformation, artificial intelligence and just energy transition.

During their meeting in Sofia on September 25 (local time) as part of Huệ's ongoing official visit to Bulgaria, they agreed to encourage the establishment of joint ventures for manufacturing products for export to third countries, tap Bulgaria's expertise and technology, and Việt Nam's abundant workforce.

They consented to convene the 24th meeting of the Việt Nam-Bulgaria Inter-Governmental Committee this year to review and coordinate specific measures to boost bilateral economic, trade, and investment ties.

Host and guest promised to foster harmonious economic and trade cooperation in conjunction with collaboration in education, training, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, based on the signed agreements, especially the five documents inked during Huệ’s visit.

On global and regional issues, they concurred on the need to enhance close cooperation and coordination at multilateral and regional forums, particularly at the United Nations, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), ASEAN-EU, and others.

Huệ said on the basis of the bilateral traditional friendship, Việt Nam would support Bulgaria’s bid to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN and hoped that Bulgaria would continue to be an effective bridge to push forward ties between Việt Nam and the EU.

Addressing the law policy forum to reinforce bilateral ties in the Bulgarian capital city on September 25, Chairman Huệ highlighted economic-trade-investment ties as a significant pillar in bilateral relations.

He hailed the significance of the event at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 73rd anniversary of diplomatic ties. Lauding the recent approval of the EU-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) by the Bulgarian National Assembly with absolute consensus, Huệ said it was a crucial step towards the effective implementation of the agreement, laying the foundation to consolidate Việt Nam's investment relations with EU countries, including Bulgaria.

The top Vietnamese legislator proposed that Bulgaria facilitate the entry of Vietnamese consumer goods and agricultural products such as tea, coffee, seafood, vegetables, tropical fruits, apparel, footwear and handicrafts into Bulgaria. Việt Nam, in return, would be ready to open its doors to Bulgarian goods, including wheat, vegetable oil, rose oil, dried fruits and wine, he said.

He wished that Bulgaria would urge the European Commission’s early removal of the "yellow card" warning on Vietnamese aquatic products, and call on other nations to expedite the approval of EVIPA and coordinate in the enforcement of EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Việt Nam would welcome Bulgarian firms to invest in areas of Việt Nam's demand and Bulgaria’s strength such as energy, transportation infrastructure, information technology, biotechnology for the preservation and processing of fruits and vegetables, pharmaceuticals, environment protection, he said, adding that while talking with the Bulgarian leaders, he proposed considering the establishment of joint ventures to invest in each other's market or explore opportunities in third markets.

The Vietnamese National Assembly and Government of Việt Nam were committed to continuously striving to offer all possible support to all enterprises, recognising that the success of businesses, including foreign ones, would contribute to the overall success of the nation, he said.

As Việt Nam is strategically focused on attracting selective investments with a priority to high technology, foundational and supporting industries, electronic components, electric vehicles and batteries, innovation, green economy, digital economy and circular economy, Huệ also suggested that both sides explore cooperation opportunities in these areas.

At the event, leaders of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Planning and Investment presented Việt Nam's industry, trade and foreign direct investment attraction policies.

A direct trade session between the two countries’ organisations and businesses was also held to share opportunities across a diverse range of sectors, including electricity, energy, aviation, cashew and pepper exports, raw cotton, rice, animal feed ingredients, pharmaceuticals, and food ingredients. — VNS