Bulgarian National Assembly Speaker Rosen Dimitrov Jeliazkova writes in the guestbook at the Traditional Room of Việt Nam National University, Hà Nội during his visit on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Đức

HÀ NỘI — Speaker of the Bulgarian National Assembly (NA) Rosen Dimitrov Jeliazkov on Monday called on students of the Việt Nam National University, Hà Nội (VNU) and young people in general as future politicians, managers, and scientists to grasp the world’s opportunities to continue developing relations between the two countries.

He made the call while visiting and delivering a policy speech at the VNU, part of his official visit to Việt Nam.

In his remarks, Jeliazkov noted that Bulgaria provided educational assistance for thousands of Vietnamese students during post-war years of reconstruction. More than 35,000 Vietnamese citizens have studied and worked in his country, he said, describing them as a bridge helping the two countries become closer.

Bulgaria was one of the first countries in the world to recognise Việt Nam's independence. In 2025, the two countries will celebrate the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, he noted, saying Bulgaria and Việt Nam are important factors for ensuring stability in each region, maintaining constructive ties with neighbouring countries, and actively participating in different forms of regional cooperation.

In today’s world, Bulgaria and Việt Nam are becoming closer to each other. The two are located in different continents but connected with each other in historical, physical, and digital terms. Both are jointly engaging in the climate change fight, ensuring supply chain sustainability, surmounting mixed threats, and developing technology and artificial intelligence.

They are promoting positive political dialogue at the highest level and expressing the shared wish to elevate bilateral ties, according to the visiting leader.

In recent years, Việt Nam has sustained high and impressive economic growth in a region with highly dynamic development in Southeast Asia. Bulgaria has continued to strongly support the EU’s relations with such priority partners as Việt Nam on the basis of their traditional friendship, practicality and trust, and Bulgaria's benefits from the EU membership, the ASEAN membership of Việt Nam, and Việt Nam's growing role in Southeast Asia, Jeliazkov went on.

He held that with the signing of the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), new opportunities are being opened up for bilateral relations. These two deals set the EU and Vietnam’s ambitious trade targets based on common commitments to trade liberalisation and open, equal, and rules-based integration.

For many years, the two countries have struggled for many important national targets. Their young people nowadays have a big mission of building a better world, he remarked.

He expressed his belief that education, knowledge, and innovation will be the topics of future meetings between young Bulgarians and Vietnamese, forming the start of new friendships that help to tighten bilateral ties.

VNU Director Prof. Dr. Lê Quân said the VNU is one of the leading universities in Việt Nam. Comprised of many colleges, research institutes, and service supplying centres, it serves as a core institution in Việt Nam's educational system. The university has obtained a number of achievements in different areas and secured high positions in international university rankings.

The VNU and its member schools have established cooperative ties with more than 300 universities, research institutes, and educational organisations in the world, including those of Bulgaria, he continued, noting that many generations of VNU students have been learning in the European country.

Also on Monday, Speaker Jeliazkov visited the Việt Nam-Bulgaria high-quality kindergarten in Hai Bà Trưng District of Hà Nội. The school was established in 1981 as a gift from the Bulgarian women’s union to Vietnamese children. — VNS