Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Pavlov had talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Lê Thị Thu Hằng

SOFIA — Bulgaria always attaches importance to developing relations with Việt Nam, its leading important partner in the region, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Pavlov affirmed during talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Lê Thị Thu Hằng as part of the latter's working trip to the European country.

At their meeting on September 30, the two officials exchanged information on the situation in each country. Hang congratulated Bulgaria on its recent development and European integration achievements, including accession to the Schengen Agreement on free movement in Europe and its plan to join Eurozone in early 2026.

Pavlov said Bulgaria is close to completing its European integration process, with membership in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) expected next year. He expressed appreciation for Việt Nam's socio-economic achievements, describing the country as a promising market for Bulgaria and the European Union (EU).

Both sides agreed that the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Việt Nam and Bulgaria have developed positively. The two countries have exchanged many high-level delegations through State and parliamentary channels, maintained close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially at the United Nations and within the ASEAN–EU framework, and jointly organised a wide range of activities to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year. Cooperation in trade and investment, education and training, science and technology, defence and security, culture, labour, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges has also seen progress.

The two officials emphasised the need for close coordination in preparing for upcoming high-level visits to reinforce political trust and expand cooperation in new fields such as high technology, innovation, human resource training in artificial intelligence and supercomputing, database connectivity, defence and security industry, automobile industry, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals. These efforts are expected to elevate bilateral relations to new heights. — VNA/VNS