Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and his entourage tour the Việt Nam Military History Museum in Hà Nội on Monday. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and his entourage toured the Việt Nam Military History Museum in Hà Nội on Monday.

Accompanying the Bulgarian delegation was Vice State President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân.

They were introduced to six display themes that illuminated pivotal chapters in Việt Nam's history, from the early days of nation-building and defence, the protection of national independence (939–1858); the fight against French colonialism for national independence (1858–1945), the resistance war against French colonialists (1945–1954); the anti-US resistance war (1954–1975); to the national construction and defence (1975–2024).

President Radev marked the occasion by penning a heartfelt entry in the museum's guestbook. In a gesture of goodwill, Col. Lê Vũ Huy, Director of the museum, presented the Bulgarian leader with a souvenir.

The Việt Nam Military History Museum, established on July 17, 1956, is one of the six national-level museums and the first of its kind within the military museum system.

Following a major upgrade in 2019 funded by the Ministry of National Defence, the museum now boasts a state-of-the-art facility in Tây Mỗ and Đại Mỗ wards, Nam Từ Liêm district. With a contemporary design and modern projection technologies, the museum offers visitors an immersive journey through Việt Nam's military history.

Spanning four above-ground floors and one basement, the museum covers a sprawling 64,640 sq.m and houses tens of thousands of artifacts.

Rumen Radev's visit is the first to Việt Nam by a Bulgarian President after 11 years, which comes at a time when both nations prepare to celebrate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties on February 8, 2025 with an aim to bolster their traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation. – VNS