The meeting between Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and the Vietnamese delegation in Sofia on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Educational and cultural ties form a longstanding and sustainable bridge between Việt Nam and Bulgaria, paving the way for collaboration across numerous other fields, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has said.

During a meeting in Sofia on June 4 with Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyễn Thị Minh Nguyệt and a delegation from the Việt Nam – Bulgaria Friendship Association chapter of Hà Nội, President Radev affirmed Việt Nam’s standing as Bulgaria’s traditional friend and highly important partner.

He also recalled his strong impression of the official visit to Việt Nam in November 2024, during which he had a meeting organised by the association with the Vietnamese people who used to study and work in Bulgaria.

Expressing her appreciation for the President’s attention to people-to-people exchanges, Ambassador Nguyệt introduced members of the delegation, who are alumni of Bulgarian universities and have actively helped with Việt Nam’s development. She described them as active contributors to the solidarity and friendship between the two nations.

Lê Thu Hà, Chairwoman of the Hà Nội Association, pledged to make further efforts to nurture the bilateral relationship. She proposed that Bulgaria enhance student exchanges with Việt Nam and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese citizens to visit the country.

Earlier, the diplomat and the delegation also held discussions with Director General Todor Stoyanov of the Directorate General for Bilateral Relations and Director Natalia Misheva of the Asia, Australia and Oceania Directorate at the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. — VNS