Party chief Tô Lâm and former King Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha together unveiled the plaque and statue marking President Hồ Chí Minh's stay at the Vrana Palace in Sofia during his visit to Bulgaria in 1957. — VNA/VNS Photo

SOFIA — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Tô Lâm, his spouse Ngô Phương Ly, and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, visited the Vrana Palace on the outskirts of Sofia on October 23 (local time), as part of their official visit to Bulgaria.

In August 1957, President Hồ Chí Minh stayed at the Vrana Palace during his visit to Bulgaria, which marked the beginning of a new chapter in the traditional and multifaceted relations between Việt Nam and Bulgaria.

Built in the early 20th century, the palace has witnessed many important events in Bulgaria’s history as well as its international relations. Its current owner is former King Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, who served as Bulgaria’s Prime Minister from July 2001 to August 2005.

With his special affection for President Hồ Chí Minh and Việt Nam, the former King initiated the idea of installing a memorial plaque featuring President Hồ Chí Minh’s portrait at the Vrana Palace, hoping it would serve as a symbol of the traditional friendship.

During the visit to the Vrana Palace, General Secretary Lâm met with former King Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and presented him with the plaque to be displayed at the palace.

The General Secretary expressed his hope that the plaque will stand as an enduring symbol of friendship between the two nations, and a “red address” for Vietnamese delegations, generations of Vietnamese, as well as Bulgarian friends and visitors.        

He affirmed that Việt Nam will never forget the former King’s meaningful contributions to Việt Nam–Bulgaria relations.

Party leader Tô Lâm, his spouse Ngô Phương Ly, had talks with Vrana Palace's current owner – former King Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, also former Bulgaria’s Prime Minister. — VNA/VNS Photo

During the government led by the former King, the two countries signed an economic cooperation agreement and granted each other most-favoured-nation status, helping facilitate bilateral trade and investment. An education cooperation agreement was also concluded, reviving the tradition of student and expert exchanges between the two nations.

These achievements contributed to deepening the traditional friendship between Việt Nam and Bulgaria and laid the groundwork for expanding cooperation across multiple sectors today, General Secretary Lâm said.  

Informing the former King about his talks with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on October 23 and the adoption of a joint statement establishing the Strategic Partnership, the leader said he believes Việt Nam–Bulgaria relations will continue to be consolidated and expanded across spheres, including economy, trade, and investment, as well as culture, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

For his part, former King Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha said he still recalls the memories of President Hồ Chí Minh’s visit to Bulgaria and to his family.

He said he has been following Việt Nam's development with great interest and expressed his delight at the country’s comprehensive progress in recent years. He affirmed that Bulgaria – and he personally – have always held deep affection for and given strong support to Việt Nam's development and international integration efforts.

He expressed confidence that following General Secretary Lâm's visit, the relationship between the two countries will grow even stronger in the new phase. — VNA/VNS